(sometimes '''Hodd Hill''') is one of the largest
Hill Fort s in
Dorset ,
England , situated in the
Blackmore Vale five
Mile s north east of
Blandford Forum . The 22
Hectare fort sits on a
Chalk hill that is detached from the
Dorset Downs and
Cranborne Chase and stands out in the low, flat vale, beside
Hambledon Hill , a slightly larger hill, which also has a hill fort, just to the north.
The hill was first fortified by the
Celt ic
Durotriges in the
Iron Age with three massive earthwork
Rampart s, the settlers using the hill for defence and the vale for
Agriculture . The hill was captured in
AD 43 by the
Roman second legion, led by
Vespasian , who had already captured
Maiden Castle and other hill forts to the south. 11 iron
Ballista bolts have been found on the hill, but there are no other signs of a struggle, suggesting the Durotriges surrendered to the superior Roman army early. The Romans further fortified and built a settlement in one corner of the original fort.
Today the hill is an important
Calcareous Grassland Habitat .
- Smith, Roly, 2000. "Castles from the air" in '' The Guardian ''. {Link without Title}
- Taylor, Christopher, 1970. ''The Making Of The Dorset Landscape''. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
