The complex of banks and ditches that surround the hillfort are the end result of many centuries of modification and enlargement during the Iron Age.
The first early Iron Age (800 - 550 BC) hillfort enclosed only the eastern end of the hill, with a single rampart and a V-shaped ditch. The original rampart was probably dumped earth, stone and chalk from the ditch, but a complex timber revetted wall flanked the entrances.
In the middle Iron Age (550 – 300 BC), a much larger area of 19 hectares was enclosed including the western end of the hill, allowing more people to live within the defences.
The complex entrances meant that people entering and leaving the fort could be closely monitored. Outsiders would be easily identified and their purpose quickly established. They would also make any direct assault on the gateway difficult to undertake.
These banks and ditches would have been formidable obstacles to an attacker, but they may also have been built for the purposes of display, with their dramatic appearance symbolising the dominance and power of the community that occupied the hillfort.
The development of the western entrance during the middle Iron Age
Unusually, Maiden Castle had two portals at each entrance, perhaps giving access to different territorial land units. In the first phase of construction, these portals were simply openings through the ramparts.
Disclaimer
The text and pictures on this page are derived from the 'Heritage Unlocked' series of guidebooks published in 2004. We intend to review, update and enhance the content in the near future as part of the Portico project, whose objective is to provide information on the history, significance, research background and sources for all English Heritage properties.
