Phone +44 1732 810378 | ||
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Address Styants Bottom Road, Near Ightham Common, Ightham TN15 0ET, United Kingdom Similar Old Soar Manor, Coldrum Long Barrow, St John's Jerusalem, Ightham Mote, National Trust ‑ Petts Wo | ||
Oldbury hillfort and rock shelter
Oldbury hillfort is a large Iron Age hill fort near the village of Ightham, Kent, England.
It covers the top of a hill that would have provided commanding views over one of the main routes in and out of the Weald and covers an area of 50 ha. A natural spring within the fort would have provided water to the occupants making it a very attractive spot. The eastern side of the hill is very steep and so earthwork defences were constructed only on the other sides.
Excavations in 1938 and 1983–4 concluded that there was little evidence of permanent occupation and that the hill fort had been built hurriedly and abandoned by 50 BC. Piles of slingstones and evidence of burning were taken to indicate that the fort may have been violently conquered, perhaps by Julius Caesar during his Roman invasion of Britain.
The site is owned by the National Trust and open to the public. The Middle Palaeolithic Oldbury rock shelters are located on the eastern slopes of the hill.