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Hillfort country

In the distance is the mighty Hambledon Hillfort taken from Shillingstone heritage railway station on the defunct Somerset & Dorset Railway. The hill is not as well known as Maiden Castle but is just as impressive and you can be assured it is one heck of a lot harder to climb to the top than the main tourist hillfort close to Dorchester. I can just imagine defending forces chanting "come and have a go if you think you're hard enough" !

 

Note : Not being anything like an expert on the subject, I have gone with the traditional view of this and other hillforts being from the Iron Age. I am aware that other theories are gaining ground that they were even more ancient trading centres and that the ditches and ramparts were more to do with water management than defence.

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Uploaded on July 20, 2025
Taken on July 16, 2025