Bigbury Camp: Bigbury Hillfort: Bigbury Wood Hillfort

• Harbledown
• Canterbury
• Scheduled Monument
• Number 1005169
• TR116576

Partially on PRIVATE PROPERTY

An Iron Age semi-circular contour hillfort covering approximately 10.7 hectares. The entrance is located at the eastern side, which is staggered, and there is a narrow approach to the western side and a possible entrance, but here it is badly damaged by the road and gravel quarrying. Situated on the eastern end of a ridge.

There is an annex of 3.2 hectares located at the north side of the site, possibly used for livestock. This is defended by bivallate defences.

The site is defended by a single bank and ditch, and at the annex by two ditches.

The Pilgrim’s Way passes through the annex, and the Hambledon Road crosses through the eastern entrance. Northern half enclosed by woodland. and the southern half on private land. This area has been ploughed down.

Archaeological finds include metal tools, horse and vehicle fittings, chains with a collar attached – for slaves, pottery sherds dating to the Iron Age. Post holes from hut circles.

350 BC                  Occupation of site dates from.

2nd C BC               Defences cut.

54 BC                    Rumoured to have been where the local people, the Cantiaci tribe, living in the Canterbury area, went when Julius Caesar landed in Kent.

54 BC                    Possibly attacked by Julius Caesar and the 7^th Legion.

1861                     Gravel excavation uncovered some artefacts.

1933                     Excavated.

1962-1963           Excavated.

1978-1980           Excavated.

1980                     Excavated.

2009-2011          LiDAR and Works.

Reference & Bibliography.

Allason-Jones. L. 2011. Artefacts in Roman Britain: Their Purpose and Use. Cambridge University Press.

Brown. I. 2009. Beacons in the Landscape: The Hillforts of England and Wales. Windgather Press.

Gould. N. 1862. February 26^th. Journal of the British Archaeological Association, Volume 18, pp. 272-273.

Hussey. R. C. 1874. The British Settlement in Bigbury Wood. Archaeologia Cantiana: Being Transactions of the Kent Archaeological Society Volume 9, pp. 13-15.

Ingleton. R. 2013. Fortress Kent. Casemate Publishers.

Manning. W. 1964. The Plough in Roman Britain. The Journal of Roman Studies, 54, 54-65. doi:10.2307/298651.

Manning. W. 1972. Ironwork Hoards in Iron Age and Roman Britain. Britannia, 3, 224-250. doi:10.2307/526028.

Sparey-Green. C.    Bigbury Camp, Harbledown, Canterbury. Canterbury Archaeology 2010-2011: 35^th Annual Report of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust. pp. 27-28.