Posbury Hill Fort
| Posbury Hill Fort | |
|
Devon | |
|---|---|
 Posbury Clump | |
| Type: | Hill fort |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SX80889717 |
| Location: | 50°45’43"N, 3°41’25"W |
| History | |
| Built Iron Age | |
| Information | |
Posbury Hill Fort is an unexcavated Iron Age hill fort by Posbury, three miles south-west of Crediton in the midst of Devon. It is on a hill known as 'Castle Down'.
The fort consists today of an incomplete earthwork partly enclosing a hilltop 590 feet above sea level. A modern road cuts across the north of the hilltop.
Just to the south of the hamlet of Posbury there are the remains of an early Roman road, that ran from the newly discovered Roman fort, near Colebrooke, in an eastward direction towards Crediton.
In the year 661, Cenwalh, King of the West Saxons fought a battle at Posentesburg, which W G Hoskins identifies with Posbury; the 'burg' (fort) may be the hill fort here.[1] The Chronicle does not state the result of the batlle.
Today the hill fort's defences are best seen from the bridle path, just to the north of the convent at Posbury.
References
- ↑ Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Laud Chronicle (661)Her Cenwealh feaht on Eastron on Posentesbyrig
- 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)