List of hillforts and ancient settlements in Somerset facts for kids

This Iron Age hillfort is famous because Alfred the Great hid here from the Danes. He might have even defeated them here later.

Discovered in 1933, this Iron Age hillfort had a ditch and bank on two sides. Sadly, most of it was destroyed by quarrying (digging for stone) by 1956.

Banwell Camp is an Iron Age hillfort with one main wall (univallate). Tools from the Bronze Age and Stone Age have been found here. Some of its old earth walls are still about 4 meters (13 feet) high.

This was an early Iron Age enclosure for animals, and possibly a fort. The Romans also used it for farming. Digs here found human and animal bones, pottery, and flint tools.

Bat's Castle is an Iron Age hillfort on Gallox Hill. It has two stone walls (ramparts) and two ditches. Visitors have caused some damage to the walls over time.

Berry Castle is an ancient hillside enclosure with earthworks (earth walls and ditches). It dates from the late Iron Age or early Roman period.

This Iron Age hillfort is on the northern part of Gallox Hill. It has a 3-meter (10-foot) high wall and a 2-meter (7-foot) deep ditch.

Blacker's Hill is an Iron Age hillfort shaped like a rectangle. It covers about 6 hectares (15 acres). It was protected by two walls and two ditches, and on some sides, by a steep drop.

Brean Down is a Bronze Age hillfort on a piece of land sticking out into the Bristol Channel. It's now a National Trust site. Roman coins have been found here too.

This Iron Age hillfort covers about 1.6 hectares (4 acres). It has been damaged by cattle and quarrying. It's protected by a single wall about 10 meters (33 feet) high and a ditch. Roman coins have been found in a pot here.

Brewer's Castle was an Iron Age defended settlement or hillfort in Hawkridge Wood. It's very close to Mounsey Castle.

This enclosure at Broomfield dates from late prehistoric or Roman times. Digs in 1968 found Iron Age pottery.

Burgh Walls Camp is an Iron Age hillfort with multiple walls (multivallate). It's on the banks above the River Avon.

Burledge hillfort is an Iron Age hillfort with one main wall (univallate) on a promontory (a point of high land). Pieces of clay with iron slag (waste from melting metal) suggest people here may have melted iron.

Old burial sites show that people lived in this area from the Bronze Age. There's also an Iron Age hillfort with one main wall.

Bury Castle is a fort on a promontory that covers about 0.2 hectares (0.5 acres). It has one wall and a ditch, with steep drops on three sides.

Cadbury Camp is an Iron Age hillfort covering about 7 acres (2.8 hectares). Its walls are about 3 to 3.7 meters (10 to 12 feet) high. A Roman-British shrine, a Bronze Age spearhead, and Neolithic tools have been found inside.

Cadbury Castle was made into a hillfort between 500 and 200 BC, covering 8 hectares (20 acres). It's linked to the legend of King Arthur's court at Camelot.

This Iron Age hillfort was rebuilt around 400 BC. You can still see remains of Iron Age roundhouses inside. It might have been a monastery later on.

Cambria Farm is where a burned Bronze Age mound and Iron Age roundhouses were found.

Cannington Camp is a hillfort with one main wall (univallate), but its walls are mostly gone. Stone tools have been found here.

There are several earthworks (banks and ditches) near Castle Neroche, showing a hillfort was here around 1000 BC.

A hillfort with one main wall (univallate) and a slightly curved entrance.

Clatworthy Camp is an Iron Age hillfort on a promontory of the Brendon Hills. It's shaped like a triangle and covers about 5.8 hectares (14 acres). It has one wall and ditch cut into the rock.

Cleeve Toot is an oval-shaped settlement, about 125 meters (410 feet) long and 90 meters (295 feet) wide. Another smaller settlement is nearby.

Conygar hillfort is a small Iron Age hillfort with one main wall (univallate). It's triangular, and you can still see a 3-foot (0.9-meter) high bank on one side.

Cow Castle is an Iron Age hillfort on a lonely hilltop. It has one wall and ditch, covering about 0.9 hectares (2.2 acres), in the valley of the River Barle.

This hillside enclosure has one main wall (univallate). The inside has been damaged by tree planting.

Curdon Camp has been almost completely destroyed by quarrying and bulldozing. A part of it remains, still 2.5 meters (8 feet) high on some sides.

Dinghurst fort is possibly an Iron Age hillfort with one main wall (univallate). It's close to Dolebury Warren.

Dolebury Camp is a hillfort on a ridge in the Mendip Hills, 47 meters (154 feet) above the area around it. Its walls enclose about 9 hectares (22 acres), with the highest part being 9 meters (30 feet) on the north side.

Dowsborough is an oval hillfort with one main wall (univallate). The wall is about 1 to 1.5 meters (3 to 5 feet) wide and 1.2 meters (4 feet) high. There's a ditch outside the wall.

Dundon Hill hillfort is an Iron Age fort protected by a single wall, from 0.5 to 2.5 meters (1.6 to 8 feet) high. Flint tools, Bronze Age pottery, and Iron Age pottery have been found here.

Elborough Hill is an oval hillfort with two walls (bivallate). It has a triple bank on the north side and a double bank on the south.

Elworthy Barrows is a damaged circular hillfort that was never finished. It was plowed many times until 1943, when ancient objects were found.

Glastonbury Lake Village is an Iron Age village built on a lake. Each house was on its own clay mound, starting around 250 BC. The whole village was surrounded by a pallisade (a fence of strong wooden stakes).

Stone Age tools have been found at Glastonbury Tor, showing people lived here very early. It's near the Glastonbury Lake Village, which was used in the Iron Age.

This hillfort is oval-shaped, measuring 270 meters (886 feet) by 67 meters (220 feet), surrounded by a bank and ditch.

Ham Hill Hillfort is possibly the largest hillfort in Somerset, covering 81 hectares (200 acres). It's surrounded by banks up to 12 meters (39 feet) high and ditches. People lived here in the Middle Stone Age, New Stone Age, and Bronze Age too. Quarrying has damaged the site.

On Highbury Hill are the remains of an Iron Age hillfort with one main wall (univallate). It's in a wooded area at the end of a narrow ridge.

An oval hillfort with one main wall (univallate), 300 meters (984 feet) long and 150 meters (492 feet) wide.

Kenwalch's Castle is an Iron Age hillfort covering 1.6 hectares (4 acres). It has a single wall and ditch that are well preserved in some places.

King's Castle is what's left of an Iron Age settlement and farming area.

King's Castle hillfort is protected by two walls and a ditch. The inner wall is 2.5 to 6 meters (8 to 20 feet) high and about 14 meters (46 feet) thick. Neolithic tools have also been found here.

Kingsdown Camp is a hillfort with one main wall (univallate), covering about 0.15 hectares (0.37 acres). It's roughly square-shaped. During the Iron Age or Roman period, a stone wall was built, possibly 4 meters (13 feet) high. The Romans continued to use the fort.

Maesbury Castle hillfort has two walls (bivallate). The main wall is 1.5 to 3 meters (5 to 10 feet) high and encloses about 2.8 hectares (7 acres). A second, smaller wall is on the southeast side.

Maes Knoll hillfort is roughly triangular and covers about 8 hectares (20 acres).

Archaeologists found several fireplaces in the ruins of houses at this Iron Age lake village. They also found tools and ornaments like bronze rings and amber beads.

This is an irregular triangular earthwork covering 1.75 hectares (4.3 acres). It's surrounded by stone walls and overlooks the River Barle.

Norton Fitzwarren hillfort is part of a nature reserve. People lived here during the Stone Age and Bronze Age.

Oldberry Castle is an irregular oval shape, 220 meters (722 feet) by 91 meters (299 feet). It's defended by a 3-meter (10-foot) wide bank and a 5.5-meter (18-foot) wide ditch.

Plainsfield Camp is possibly an Iron Age settlement with one main wall (univallate). It's shaped like a diamond, about 165 meters (540 feet) by 137 meters (450 feet), with a single bank about 3 meters (10 feet) high.

This enclosure, defined by a bank and ditch, is likely from the Iron Age.

Roddenbury hillfort is a large hillfort with one main wall (univallate), covering about 0.84 hectares (2 acres).

On Rodhuish Common, there's a small oval enclosure thought to be from the Iron Age.

Ruborough Camp hillfort is on a hill with steep natural slopes. It's triangular, with one wall and ditch (univallate), covering 1.8 hectares (4.4 acres). There was a tunnel to a nearby spring for water.

Sigwells Camp overlooks Cadbury Castle. Important discoveries here include Britain's earliest known metalworking building, from the Middle Bronze Age (12th century BC).

Small Down Camp is a hillfort with multiple walls (multivallate), covering 2 hectares (5 acres). There are also about 14 burial mounds inside the camp walls.

People lived here between 300 BC and 100 BC. It's a triangular area with one main wall (univallate), made of stone and rubble. The wall was 6 meters (20 feet) wide and at least 4 meters (13 feet) high. Huts were built inside. The site was later burned and abandoned, possibly during an invasion.

Stantonbury Camp is an Iron Age hillfort near Wansdyke. It's currently on a list of heritage sites at risk.

Stokeleigh Camp was an important defense site for the Avon Gorge. It's located on a promontory.

Sweetworthy is an Iron Age hillfort or enclosure on the side of Dunkery Hill. It has one wall and an outer ditch, covering 0.25 hectares (0.6 acres).

Taps Combe Camp is a D-shaped Iron Age hillfort with one main wall (univallate), about 50 meters (164 feet) by 50 meters.

Tedbury Camp is a hillfort with multiple walls (multivallate), defended by two parallel banks. The inner bank is 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) wide and 3 to 4.5 meters (10 to 15 feet) high. Romans also lived here, and a collection of Roman coins was found.

Trendle Ring is a hillfort with one main wall (univallate), shaped like a rounded square. It covers about 0.7 hectares (1.7 acres) and is surrounded by a ring of stones and a ditch.

Tunley Camp is an Iron Age hillfort with one main wall (univallate), but it has been almost completely flattened by plowing.

This fort on a promontory has earthwork remains. The wall is up to 5 meters (16 feet) high in some places, but other parts are almost gone.

Wain's Hill is an Iron Age hillfort with two walls (bivallate). It's on a triangular piece of land and protected by steep natural slopes and two walls on the east.

This is a "banjo enclosure," a special type of ancient settlement, believed to be from the late Iron Age.

Westbury Camp is a large, irregularly shaped hillfort surrounded by a bank and ditch, covering about 2.3 hectares (5.7 acres).

Worlebury Camp is an Iron Age hillfort built for defense, with many walls and ditches. Archaeologists found almost a hundred storage pits cut into the rock, some with human remains and coins. The fort has been damaged and threatened many times.

This site was an Iron Age defended settlement on flat ground in a hilly area.

Berwick might have been an Iron Age hillfort with multiple walls (multivallate), but it has since been destroyed.

Evidence like burials in nearby caves shows people lived here from the late New Stone Age (Neolithic) and early Bronze Age.

Daw's Castle hillfort is on a cliff about 80 meters (262 feet) above the sea. It might be from the Iron Age, but King Alfred rebuilt it around 878 AD to defend against Viking raids.