Denbury Hill
| Denbury Hill | |
| Devon | |
|---|---|
 Towards Denbury Down | |
| Summit: | 522 feet SX816685 50°30’17"N, 3°40’13"W |
Denbury Hill or Denbury Down is a small but sudden hill, wooded on its south side, reaching 522 feet above sea level, in south-eastern Devon, on the south-west side of Denbury. It is topped by the earthworks of an Iron Age hill fort.
The fort is south east of the village, occupying the entire hilltop. It is surrounded on the south and east sides by high embankments. In the centre of the enclosure there are two large burial mounds.[1]
The name Denbury is believed to be from the Old English Defna burg, meaning 'Fort of the men of Devon'. It was built in the Iron Age and was probably re-occupied some time after the Romans left Britain. Whether it was used by the native Britons of Dyfnaint as a centre of resistance against the Saxons, or was occupied by the West Saxons themselves,[2] is unknown and the fort has not been excavated.
References
- ↑ Sellman, R.R.: 'Aspects of Devon History' (Devon Books, 1985) ISBN 0-86114-756-1. Chapter: "The Iron Age in Devon" (Map of Iron Age hill forts in Devon)
- ↑ Higham, Robert (1987). Security and Defence in South-west England before 1800. Exeter Studies in History. University of Exeter. p. 33. ISBN 0-85989-209-3.