Badbury Rings
Encyclopedia
Badbury Rings is an Iron Age
hill fort
in east Dorset
, England, dating from 800 BC and in use until the Roman
occupation of 43 AD.
round barrow
s indicate an earlier occupation.
, which ran between Durnovaria
(Dorchester) and Sorviodunum, (Old Sarum
); and a road running from Aquae Sulis
(Bath) to Hamworthy
near Poole
.
The Romans established a small fort just to southwest of Badbury Rings, between the hillfort and the modern village of Shapwick
. To the east of the Roman fort, there was a small Romano-British town, believed to be that listed in the Antonine Itinerary
as Vindocladia.
late in the Saxon invasion of England, being held up by Bokerley Dyke
on the Roman Road from Old Sarum. Local historian Roy Carr (2001) has suggested that the Saxons were held off by the threat of an army in the west, perhaps stationed at Badbury Rings. Carr has suggested that such a force could be one of the sources of the legends of King Arthur
, and that Badbury could be the "Badon" of the legend of the Battle of Mons Badonicus
.
, is now part of the Kingston Lacy
estate owned by the National Trust
, with free access.
The site is also used for the popular point to point racing by the Portman hunt
.
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
in east Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England, dating from 800 BC and in use until the Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
occupation of 43 AD.
Iron Age
Badbury Rings sits 327 feet (99.7 m) above sea level. There are two main phases of construction; the first covered 7.3 hectares (18 acre) and was defend by multiple ditches, while the second was more than twice the size, covering 16.6 ha (41 acre) and defended by a single ditch and rampart. Four Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
round barrow
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
s indicate an earlier occupation.
Vindocladia
Badbury Rings is situated at the cross of two Roman roads: Ackling DykeAckling Dyke
Ackling Dyke is a section of Roman road in England which runs for southwest from Old Sarum to the hill fort at Badbury Rings .Much of the road exists as an exceptionally large embankment , up to wide and high...
, which ran between Durnovaria
Durnovaria
Durnovaria is the Latin form of the Brythonic name for the Roman town of Dorchester in the modern English county of Dorset.-Romans at Maiden Castle:...
(Dorchester) and Sorviodunum, (Old Sarum
Old Sarum
Old Sarum is the site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury, in England. The site contains evidence of human habitation as early as 3000 BC. Old Sarum is mentioned in some of the earliest records in the country...
); and a road running from Aquae Sulis
Aquae Sulis
Aquae Sulis was a small town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today it is known as Bath, located in the English county of Somerset.-Baths and temple complex:...
(Bath) to Hamworthy
Hamworthy
Hamworthy is a parish and inner suburb of Poole in Dorset, England. Hamworthy lies on a peninsula of approximately and is bounded by Upton to the north, Poole Harbour to the west and Holes Bay to the east. Poole Bridge, the southern terminus of the A350 road, connects the suburb with the town centre...
near Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
.
The Romans established a small fort just to southwest of Badbury Rings, between the hillfort and the modern village of Shapwick
Shapwick, Dorset
Shapwick is a village and civil parish in east Dorset, England, situated on the River Stour five miles south east of Blandford Forum and eight miles north of Poole...
. To the east of the Roman fort, there was a small Romano-British town, believed to be that listed in the Antonine Itinerary
Antonine Itinerary
The Antonine Itinerary is a register of the stations and distances along the various roads of the Roman empire, containing directions how to get from one Roman settlement to another...
as Vindocladia.
Saxon era
Dorset fell to the SaxonsSaxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
late in the Saxon invasion of England, being held up by Bokerley Dyke
Bokerley Dyke
Bokerley Dyke is a Romano-British defensive ditch in north east Dorset, England, near the villages of Woodyates and Pentridge. The ditch ran for several miles, cutting across the Roman Road between Old Sarum and Badbury Rings on the Cranborne Chase ridgeway. Dated to 367 CE, it was constructed to...
on the Roman Road from Old Sarum. Local historian Roy Carr (2001) has suggested that the Saxons were held off by the threat of an army in the west, perhaps stationed at Badbury Rings. Carr has suggested that such a force could be one of the sources of the legends of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
, and that Badbury could be the "Badon" of the legend of the Battle of Mons Badonicus
Battle of Mons Badonicus
The Battle of Mons Badonicus was a battle between a force of Britons and an Anglo-Saxon army, probably sometime between 490 and 517 AD. Though it is believed to have been a major political and military event, there is no certainty about its date, location or the details of the fighting...
.
The site today
The site, on the dip slope of Cranborne ChaseCranborne Chase
Cranborne Chase is a Chalk plateau in central southern England, straddling the counties Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire. The plateau is part of the English Chalk Formation and is adjacent to Salisbury Plain and the West Wiltshire Downs in the north, the Dorset Downs to the south west and the...
, is now part of the Kingston Lacy
Kingston Lacy
Kingston Lacy is a country house and estate near Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England, now owned by the National Trust. From the 17th to the late 20th centuries it was the family seat of the Bankes family, who had previously resided nearby at Corfe Castle until its destruction in the English Civil War...
estate owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
, with free access.
The site is also used for the popular point to point racing by the Portman hunt
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
.
Further reading
- Carr, R., 2001. "Badbury or Badon" in Dorset life no 267 p5-7.
- Pitt-Rivers, Michael, 1970. Dorset. London: Faber & Faber.