Holmbury Hill facts for kids
Holmbury Hill is a lovely wooded area in Surrey, England. It stands about 261 metres (856 ft) (or 856 feet) above sea level. This spot is famous for being the site of an Iron Age hillfort. The name "Holmbury" comes from old words: "holm" means hill, and "bury" means a fortified place.
Holmbury Hill is part of the wavy Greensand Ridge. Its highest point is only about 805 feet (245 m) (245 meters) from the small, tightly clustered village of Holmbury St. Mary. This village was traditionally part of Shere, which is about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) (5 miles) away.
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Ancient History of Holmbury Hill
Holmbury Hill has a fascinating past! In 1929, an expert named S. E. Winbolt dug up parts of the hillfort. He thought it was built around the 1st Century AD. He believed Belgic tribes, who were Celts settling in Britain before the Romans arrived, might have built it.
However, newer studies suggest the fort was used even earlier, from about 100 to 70 BC.
What Was the Hillfort Like?
The hillfort was well-protected. On its western and northern sides, it had two strong walls, called ramparts. The eastern and southern slopes were naturally steep, making them hard to attack.
The outer ditches around the fort were about three meters deep and six meters wide. The inner ditches were even bigger, about four meters deep and nine meters wide! These huge earthworks weren't just for fighting. They might have also shown how powerful and secure the people living there were.
The fort sits on a very hard type of rock called chert. This rock makes the hill stand out from the surrounding land. This might have helped the people control trade routes in the area. There isn't much proof that people lived in the fort all the time. But it would have been a safe and clear place for people to meet, trade goods, and hold community events.
Holmbury Hill's Location and Landscape
At 261 metres (856 ft) (856 feet), Holmbury Hill is the fourth highest point in Surrey.
Nearby Hills and Natural Beauty
It's about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) (2 miles) west of Leith Hill, which is the highest point in Surrey at 294 metres (965 ft) (965 feet). A deep valley separates these two hills. Holmbury Hill is also about 21.5 kilometres (13.4 mi) (13.4 miles) north-east of Gibbet Hill, Hindhead, the second highest point in Surrey.
The third highest point is Botley Hill (269.6 metres (885 ft) or 885 feet). This hill is about 32 kilometres (20 mi) (20 miles) to the north-east in Woldingham. It's on the North Downs, which is one of Surrey's two main hill ranges. All the other six highest peaks in Surrey are part of the Greensand Ridge. The Vale of Holmesdale separates the Greensand Ridge from the North Downs.
All these hills, from Botley Hill to Gibbet Hill, make up the beautiful Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This means the area has special natural beauty that is protected.
The Hurtwood Forest
Around Holmbury Hill, there's a huge forest area called the Hurtwood SSSI. It covers about 3,000 acres (12 km2) (12.1 square kilometers). A group called the Friends of the Hurtwood helps look after it. This area includes Holmbury Hill, Pitch Hill, Winterfold, Shere Heath, Farley Heath, and part of Blackheath Common. The villages of Peaslake and Ewhurst are also nearby.
How the Hill Was Formed
The rock under Holmbury Hill is a type of sandstone. It's part of the Hythe Beds. This rock formed in shallow seas about 113 to 126 million years ago, during the Cretaceous Period. Below the sandstone is a softer rock called Atherfield Clay Formation, which also formed in ancient seas.
Because the hard sandstone sits on top of softer clay, the land can easily slip vertically, creating steep slopes. The southern side of Holmbury Hill, where the fort is, looks even more impressive because of the strong chert rock layers running through the Greensand.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, people really valued the chert rock for building. You can still find old quarries around the fort site. Quarrying was a big activity here, along with cutting timber, gathering turf, and collecting bracken and heather.
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