Liddington

I hadn't been to Liddington Castle henge since 2001 (which I backblipped), but after lunch at the Village Inn in Liddington, I explored a section of the Ridgeway, beginning on a section north of Foxhill, marked by a trig point, and then made my way back to the henge. It was first known to me for its Arthurian connection, as a possible site of the Battle of Badon, the site of one of his victories.

Liddington Castle (or Camp) is a late Bronze Age/early Iron Age hill fort, and at 277 metres (909 ft) is the highest point in the Borough of Swindon.

"It is sited on a commanding high points close to The Ridgeway and covers an area of 3ha. Liddington Castle was one of the earliest hill forts in Britain, with first occupation dating to the seventh century BC. The earthworks consist of a relatively simple oval bank of timber and earth fronted by a ditch, with opposing causewayed entrances on the east and west sides. The western entrance was later blocked off and the eastern one may have been lined with sarsen stones. A palisade of wooden posts may have lined the top of the bank. During a later phase the bank and ditch were improved and a rampart of dumped chalk, excavated from the enlarged ditch, increased the height of the bank.

"Excavation within the hill fort revealed a large pit 1.5m in diameter and at least 2.4m deep. The bottom of the feature was not reached and it was interpreted by the archaeologists who dug it as a ritual shaft. Similar shafts have been recorded at Wapley Hill in Herefordshire and Cadbury Castle in Devon. Finds of pottery suggest Liddington Castle was abandoned during the fifth century BC, with perhaps some later re-occupation during the Roman period.

"Liddington Castle is sometimes suggested as a possible site of Mount Badon and thus the location of the late fifth century AD Battle of Mount Badon from Gildas. There is, however, no archaeological evidence to indicate activity during this later period." - Wikipedia

"The Battle of Badon also known as the Battle of Badon Hill or Mount Badon, is a battle thought to have occurred between a force of Britons and an Anglo-Saxon war band in the late 5th or early 6th century. Chiefly known today for the supposed involvement of King Arthur, it is credited in medieval British and Welsh sources as a major political and military event but seems to have passed unremarked in the Anglo-Saxon histories. Because of the limited number of sources, there is no certainty about the date, location, or details of the fighting." - Wikipedia

Swindon lurks in the background. I saw a large group shire houses in a field opposite the footpath on the way back to the car, some with foals.

L.
26.5.2014 (2208 hr)

Blip #1273
Consecutive Blip #135
Day #1512

Alternatives:
Cows Below Liddington Castle
Shire Horses

A Trip To Liddington, 15 May 2014

Outdoor Places I Have Sat In series

Lenses: Pentax 17-70mm, Pentax 55-300mm x1.4

Lozarhythm Of The Day:
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One year ago: Apple Blossom Time