Beacon Hill, Burghclere, Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Beacon Hill is near the village of Burghclere
and Watership Down
, in north Hampshire
. The hill's name is derived from the fact that it was one of many Beacon Hill
s in England
and beyond. This hill was once the site of the most famous beacon
in Hampshire. It is 261 metres high and has one of England
's most well known hill fort
s on its slopes. From there, outstanding views of the surrounding area and much of Hampshire may be obtained. The site is open to the public and managed by Hampshire County Council
. It is a Site of special scientific interest
and a National Nature Reserve
.
chalk
downland
habitat and as such is scarce and home to some unusual and rare species. Many chalk grassland slopes in England show the mark of centuries of grazing by sheep, the slopes bearing a stepped appearance formed by a mixture of soil creep and sheep paths. Such erosion is clearly visible on the slopes of Beacon Hill.
The site includes an extensive stand of juniper
Juniperus communis, privet
Ligustrum vulgare, buckthorn
Rhamnus catharticus, rose
Rosa spp., bramble
Rubus spp., wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana and hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and whitebeam
Sorbus aria, which covers circa 20 ha to the west-facing slopes. There is little evidence of juniper regeneration (and some moribund bushes) and the site is probably witnessing a transition from juniper to a mixed scrub community, with the early indications of an eventual succession of woodland. The scrub is unusual on the chalk in lacking a yew
Taxus baccata and ash Fraxinus excelsior component.
The open grassland is rich in herbs, with fescue
s Festuca ovina and Festuca pratensis, crested dog’s tail
Cynosurus cristatus, spring sedge
Carex caryophyllea, and locally quaking grass
Briza media as dominants. Abundant herbs include ladys’ bedstraw
Galium vernum, hedge bedstraw
Galium mollugo, creeping thistle
Cirsium acaule, fairy flax
Linum catharticum, bird’s-foot trefoil
Lotus corniculatus, horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa, kidney vetch
Anthyllis vulneraria, chalk milkwort
Polygala calcarea and felwort
Gentianella amarella and several species of orchids. There is also Rock Rose, Wild Thyme
, and Clustered Bellflower
. These flowers in turn provide for rare invertebrates such as Osmia bicolor
, a scarce solitary bee. There is a decidedly neutral element in the flora which suggests that the soils may in part be derived from superficial drift or loess.
In a national survey carried out in the early 1970s, the chalk scrub element of the SSSI is recognised as being a nationally important example of a stage in the succession from juniper scrub to woodland. The chalk grassland within the SSSI includes a wide range of aspect and soils and in particular include chalk grassland developed on gradients which elsewhere have mostly been converted to arable or ley.
The hill fort on the top of the hill has never been systematically excavated, but the land and ditch are sharply defined and well preserved. The Beacon Hill camp, (scheduled ancient monument number 7)built around 1000 BCE, was probably inhabited by around 2–3000 people according to calculations from similar camps. It is one of a number of hillforts, which are strung out along the north-facing scarp
of the Hampshire Downs, overlooking the Kennet
valley to the north. When originally built, these structures must have looked spectacular even from a distance as their white chalk ramparts caught the sun.
Within the ramparts of the fort are some fifteen contemporary hut sites comprising horseshoe shape scoops and circular enclosures, some of which can be seen by the casual visitor. The south-facing entrance is still well defined and a track would have led southwards towards an area of fields which are still apparent at the far end of the hill. Aerial photographs show considerable evidence of ancient field patterns throughout much of the surrounding countryside. On the west side of Sidown Hill (immediately to the west of Beacon Hill) there is an area of well defined field terracing.
North of Beacon Hill there is a Bronze age Bowl Barrow (scheduled ancient monument number 290) sited in a fir plantation and covered with trees.
150 yards south of Beacon Hill Camp is a Bronze age round Barrow (scheduled ancient monument number 318)
On the hill there are two lynchet
s halfway down the north slope, with a number of later hollow-ways
encroaching upon them.
The beacon on the hill here passed the Hampshire warning on from the county to Cuckhamsiey Beacon in Berkshire. Nearby excavations revealed red brick and flint fireplace pottery, tobacco pipes amoungst other items. This was presumably the site of a shelter hut for the men who watched the bonfire.
The tomb of the famous Egyptologist, George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon
lies within the fortifications. It is also where Sir Geoffrey de Havilland
made his first successful test flight on 10 September 1910, commemorated by a memorial stone situated in the Seven Barrows field to the south of Beacon Hill.
, in the county of Hampshire
. The hill has a summit of 261m AOD. Nearby to the east lies Ladle Hill
and further east is Watership Down
. Also to the north east lies Old Burghclere Lime Quarry SSSI. The A34
runs between Beacon Hill and Ladle Hill to the east. To the west lies Sidown Hill.
Burghclere
Burghclere is a village and civil parish in the Basingstoke and Deane district of Hampshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,138...
and Watership Down
Watership Down, Hampshire
Watership Down is a hill, or down, at Ecchinswell in the civil parish of Ecchinswell, Sydmonton and Bishops Green in the English county of Hampshire. It rises fairly steeply on its northern flank , but to the south the slope is much gentler . .The Down is best known as the setting for Richard...
, in north Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. The hill's name is derived from the fact that it was one of many Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill is a name shared by many hills, suburbs, villages and other places around the world. Many are so called because they were historically the site of a warning beacon. Others are named after other places of the same name.-In the United Kingdom:...
s in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and beyond. This hill was once the site of the most famous beacon
Beacon
A beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location.Beacons can also be combined with semaphoric or other indicators to provide important information, such as the status of an airport, by the colour and rotational pattern of its airport beacon, or of...
in Hampshire. It is 261 metres high and has one of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
's most well known 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...
s on its slopes. From there, outstanding views of the surrounding area and much of Hampshire may be obtained. The site is open to the public and managed by Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Hampshire in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are district councils, and town and parish councils...
. It is a Site of special scientific interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
and a National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
.
Ecology
Beacon Hill is a calcareous grasslandCalcareous grassland
Calcareous grassland is an ecosystem associated with thin basic soil, such as that on chalk and limestone downland. Plants on calcareous grassland are typically short and hardy, and include grasses and herbs such as clover...
chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
downland
Downland
A downland is an area of open chalk hills. This term is especially used to describe the chalk countryside in southern England. Areas of downland are often referred to as Downs....
habitat and as such is scarce and home to some unusual and rare species. Many chalk grassland slopes in England show the mark of centuries of grazing by sheep, the slopes bearing a stepped appearance formed by a mixture of soil creep and sheep paths. Such erosion is clearly visible on the slopes of Beacon Hill.
The site includes an extensive stand of juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
Juniperus communis, privet
Privet
Privet was originally the name for the European semi-evergreen shrub Ligustrum vulgare, and later also for the more reliably evergreen Ligustrum ovalifolium , used extensively for privacy hedging. It is often suggested that the name privet is related to private, but the OED states that there is no...
Ligustrum vulgare, buckthorn
Buckthorn
The Buckthorns are a genus of about 100 species of shrubs or small trees from 1-10 m tall , in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae...
Rhamnus catharticus, rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
Rosa spp., bramble
Bramble
Brambles are thorny plants of the genus Rubus, in the rose family . Bramble fruit is the fruit of any such plant, including the blackberry and raspberry. The word comes from Germanic *bram-bezi, whence also German Brombeere , Dutch Braam and French framboise...
Rubus spp., wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana and hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and whitebeam
Whitebeam
The whitebeams are members of the Rosaceae family, comprising subgenus Aria of genus Sorbus, and hybrids involving species of this subgenus and members of subgenera Sorbus, Torminaria and Chamaemespilus. They are deciduous trees with simple or lobed leaves, arranged alternately...
Sorbus aria, which covers circa 20 ha to the west-facing slopes. There is little evidence of juniper regeneration (and some moribund bushes) and the site is probably witnessing a transition from juniper to a mixed scrub community, with the early indications of an eventual succession of woodland. The scrub is unusual on the chalk in lacking a yew
Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may be now known as the English yew, or European yew.-Description:It is a small-...
Taxus baccata and ash Fraxinus excelsior component.
The open grassland is rich in herbs, with fescue
Fescue
Festuce is a genus of about 300 species of perennial tufted grasses, belonging to the grass family Poaceae . The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, although the majority of the species are found in cool temperate areas...
s Festuca ovina and Festuca pratensis, crested dog’s tail
Cynosurus cristatus
-Introduction:Crested Dog’s-tail is an ornamental plant, but also found in the wild typically in species rich grassland. It is a perennial short-lived plant characterised by a seed head that is flat on one side. It thrives in a variety of soil types but avoids the acid and calcerous extremes of...
Cynosurus cristatus, spring sedge
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae are a family of monocotyledonous graminoid flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 5,500 species described in about 109 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group...
Carex caryophyllea, and locally quaking grass
Briza media
Briza media is a perennial grass in the family Poaceae and is a species of the genus Briza.Common name includes Quaking-grass, Cow-quake, Didder, Dithering-grass, Dodder-grass, Doddering Dillies, Doddle-grass, Earthquakes, Jiggle-joggles, Jockey-grass, Lady's-hair, Maidenhair-grass, Pearl Grass,...
Briza media as dominants. Abundant herbs include ladys’ bedstraw
Galium verum
Galium verum is a herbaceous perennial plant of the family Rubiaceae, native to Europe and Asia. It is a low scrambling plant, with the stems growing to long, frequently rooting where they touch the ground. The leaves are long and broad, shiny dark green, hairy underneath, borne in whorls of 8–12...
Galium vernum, hedge bedstraw
Galium album
Galium album. Miller. is a herbaceous annual plant of the family Rubiaceae...
Galium mollugo, creeping thistle
Cirsium arvense
Cirsium arvense is a species of Cirsium, native throughout Europe and northern Asia, and widely introduced elsewhere. The standard English name in its native area is Creeping Thistle.-Alternate names:...
Cirsium acaule, fairy flax
Linum catharticum
Linum catharticum or Fairy Flax is an herbaceous flowering plant in the genus Linum, native to central Europe and Western Asia. The plant is annual and blooms in July and August....
Linum catharticum, bird’s-foot trefoil
Lotus corniculatus
Lotus corniculatus is a common flowering plant native to grassland temperate Eurasia and North Africa. The common name is Bird's-foot Trefoil , though the common name is often also applied to other members of the genus...
Lotus corniculatus, horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa, kidney vetch
Anthyllis vulneraria
Anthyllis vulneraria is a medicinal plant native to Europe. The name vulneraria means "wound healer".-Description:...
Anthyllis vulneraria, chalk milkwort
Polygala
Polygala is a genus of about 500 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Polygalaceae, commonly known as milkwort or snakeroot...
Polygala calcarea and felwort
Gentianella
Gentianella is a plant genus in the Gentian family .-Species:*Gentianella alborosea - Hercampuri*Gentianella amarella - Autumn Gentian, Felwort*Gentianella anglica - Early Gentian...
Gentianella amarella and several species of orchids. There is also Rock Rose, Wild Thyme
Wild thyme
Thymus serpyllum, known by the common names of Breckland Thyme, Wild Thyme or Creeping Thyme is a species of thyme native to most of Europe and North Africa. It is a low, usually prostrate subshrub growing to 2 cm tall with creeping stems up to 10 cm long, with oval evergreen leaves...
, and Clustered Bellflower
Clustered bellflower
Campanula glomerata, common name Clustered Bellflower or Dane's Blood, is a species of the genus Campanula, belonging to the family Campanulaceae...
. These flowers in turn provide for rare invertebrates such as Osmia bicolor
Osmia bicolor
Osmia bicolor is a species of bee in the genus Osmia. It is outstanding amongst other osmiine bees in that it nests in empty snail shells....
, a scarce solitary bee. There is a decidedly neutral element in the flora which suggests that the soils may in part be derived from superficial drift or loess.
In a national survey carried out in the early 1970s, the chalk scrub element of the SSSI is recognised as being a nationally important example of a stage in the succession from juniper scrub to woodland. The chalk grassland within the SSSI includes a wide range of aspect and soils and in particular include chalk grassland developed on gradients which elsewhere have mostly been converted to arable or ley.
Archaeology
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
of the Hampshire Downs, overlooking the Kennet
River Kennet
The Kennet is a river in the south of England, and a tributary of the River Thames. The lower reaches of the river are navigable to river craft and are known as the Kennet Navigation, which, together with the Avon Navigation, the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Thames, links the cities of Bristol...
valley to the north. When originally built, these structures must have looked spectacular even from a distance as their white chalk ramparts caught the sun.
Within the ramparts of the fort are some fifteen contemporary hut sites comprising horseshoe shape scoops and circular enclosures, some of which can be seen by the casual visitor. The south-facing entrance is still well defined and a track would have led southwards towards an area of fields which are still apparent at the far end of the hill. Aerial photographs show considerable evidence of ancient field patterns throughout much of the surrounding countryside. On the west side of Sidown Hill (immediately to the west of Beacon Hill) there is an area of well defined field terracing.
North of Beacon Hill there is a Bronze age Bowl Barrow (scheduled ancient monument number 290) sited in a fir plantation and covered with trees.
150 yards south of Beacon Hill Camp is a Bronze age round Barrow (scheduled ancient monument number 318)
On the hill there are two lynchet
Lynchet
A lynchet is a bank of earth that builds up on the downslope of a field ploughed over a long period of time. The disturbed soil slips down the hillside to create a positive lynchet while the area reduced in level becomes a negative lynchet. They are also referred to as strip lynchets.They are a...
s halfway down the north slope, with a number of later hollow-ways
Sunken lane
A sunken lane is a road which has over time fallen significantly lower than the land on either side. They are created incrementally by erosion, by water and traffic...
encroaching upon them.
The beacon on the hill here passed the Hampshire warning on from the county to Cuckhamsiey Beacon in Berkshire. Nearby excavations revealed red brick and flint fireplace pottery, tobacco pipes amoungst other items. This was presumably the site of a shelter hut for the men who watched the bonfire.
The tomb of the famous Egyptologist, George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon
George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon
George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon was an English aristocrat best known as the financial backer of the search for and the excavation of Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings.-Biography:...
lies within the fortifications. It is also where Sir Geoffrey de Havilland
Geoffrey de Havilland
Captain Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, OM, CBE, AFC, RDI, FRAeS, was a British aviation pioneer and aircraft engineer...
made his first successful test flight on 10 September 1910, commemorated by a memorial stone situated in the Seven Barrows field to the south of Beacon Hill.
Location
The site is located at , to the southwest of the village of Old BurghclereOld Burghclere
Old Burghclere is a village in Hampshire, England, located south of the large town of Newbury near the A34 road. The village was once on the A34 road and has now been by-passed, although this section is not part of the Newbury bypass.-Governance:...
, in the county of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. The hill has a summit of 261m AOD. Nearby to the east lies Ladle Hill
Ladle Hill
Ladle Hill lies on Great Litchfield Down, near the village of Burghclere and Watership Down, in north Hampshire. It is immediately to the East of Beacon Hill. Part of the hill is a biological SSSI, number 1000642, first notified in 1978. It is 232 metres high and has a hill forts and Tumulus...
and further east is Watership Down
Watership Down
Watership Down is a classic heroic fantasy novel, written by English author Richard Adams, about a small group of rabbits. Although the animals in the story live in their natural environment, they are anthropomorphised, possessing their own culture, language , proverbs, poetry, and mythology...
. Also to the north east lies Old Burghclere Lime Quarry SSSI. The A34
A34 road
The A34 is a major road in England. It runs from the A6042 in Salford to Winchester in Hampshire. It forms a large part of the major trunk route from Southampton, via Oxford, to Birmingham, The Potteries and Manchester...
runs between Beacon Hill and Ladle Hill to the east. To the west lies Sidown Hill.