Stourpaine

 

 18th Dec 2015

 

Taking advantage of a trip to Blandford Forum, and a dry if dull day,

Here is a walk from the delightful village of Stourpaine,

and finishing with the amazing Hambleton Hill fort,

which must be the best I have ever seen,

followed by Hod Hill.

 

 
Hambledon Hill is Dorset's most impressive Iron Age hillfort with mulitple ramparts. The hilltop is encircled by an Iron Age earthwork and there are extensive and complex Neolithic features, making it a site of major archaeological importance. Situated in the Blackmore Vale five miles north of Blandford Forum, Hambledon is a National Nature Reserve with stunning views from the top.
Neighbouring Hod Hill is not so prominent so the extensive and pretty views from the top come as a surprise. Hod actually has the largest internal area of any of the Dorset hillforts, excavations have shown that the site was used by a Roman legion of around 600 foot soldiers and a cavalry unit of 250. The Iron Age fort on the site is 4-5 times larger than the Roman fort with double ramparts around the outer edge.