Uley Again

Today was a return to an area we'd been to before but last time it was barrows, barrows and more barrows. This time we thought we try and find the hillfort at Uley

 It proved very easy to find - well it isn't exactly small, being over a mile if you walk around it!

Uley Bury hill fort is a very large Iron Age fort and very well preserved. It covers approximately 32 acres and dominates the landscape.

There is evidence of occupation from 300BCE to 100CE


 
The Bury is surrounded by step steep natural slopes made steeper by some judicious use or earth workings. It was created by terracing two lines of ramparts into the hillside. 





The entrance. There have been a number of interesting finds here including a crouched burial, coins including  one of   gold  from the Dobunni and a silver Roman coin






 The centre of the fort is private property but luckily a public footpath skirts the ramparts so you can peek in. Not much to see other than a flat meadow but aerial photography has revealed lots of crop marks so it looks like it was once heavily inhabited.

Time for lunch at the Old Crown Inn at Uley. Very pretty and great food. The fire was much appreciated as it wasn't that warm outside and although it looks empty here we were early. 30 minutes later it was packed!


Back now to the car but as Hetty Peglar's Hump ( Uley Long barrow) was so close we thought we'd just drop by to see if English Heritage had finished their restoration work. Last time we visited it was closed ans swathed in plastic.

 They had

It's a painful low crawl in but fortunately not far. I could have done without the sharp stones English Heritage have laid on the path. Very hard on the knees.

Still well worth it though. Absoluetely pitch dark inside as expected,

Inside there are numerous small chambers. Technically I'm told its a Gallery Grave. It is obviously heavily restored but nonetheless atmospheric.