- Ham Hill, Somerset
Infobox Mountain
Name = Ham Hill
Photo = Stoke_under_ham_hill.jpg
Caption = Ham Hill summit and war memorial seen from Stoke-sub-Hamdon
Elevation = "c." 125 m ("c." 410 ft)
Location =Somerset ,England
Range =
Prominence = < 5 m
Coordinates =
Topographic
OS "Landranger" 183
Type =
First ascent =
Easiest route =
Grid_ref_UK = ST479172
Listing =
Translation =
Language =
Pronunciation =Ham Hill is a
geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI),Iron Age hill fort , Roman site, andcountry park , to the west ofYeovil ,Somerset ,England .The hill has given its name to the distinctive quarried
hamstone , and also to two nearby villages:Stoke-sub-Hamdon andNorton Sub Hamdon , whose names mean "under-Ham-hill" (where "Ham" isOld English for a small settlement).The hill has fine views to the
Mendip Hills andBlackdown Hills ,Quantock Hills andDorset Downs . It is popular for picnicking, walking, and mountain biking in the grassy hollows of the old quarry workings.Geology
The hill is part of ridge of sandy
limestone rock that is elevated above the lower lyingclay vale s and nearbySomerset Levels . Thesedimentary rocks were laid down in the part of the earlyJurassic known as theToarcian Stage.The
hamstone is a distinctive honey-coloured building stone that has been used in local villages and for buildings such asMontacute House andSherborne Abbey . Extensive oldquarry workings have changed the landscape into a warren of stoney ridges and grassy hollows. Quarrying has unearthed many important historical artifacts, but also destroyed much of the archaeological context.The hill is an 11.1 ha
geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), notified in 1971, because of its particular importance to geologists because of the assemblages of fossils which it contains, the sedimentary features which it displays and the way it relates to other rocks of equivalent age in the close vicinity. [cite web | title=Ham Hill | url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000144.pdf | accessdate=2006-07-17]History
Ham Hill is the site of a very large
Bronze Age andIron Age hill fort of theDurotriges tribe. The convert|3|mi|km|0 ramparts enclose an area of convert|210|acre|ha|0|lk=on. Most of the perimeter is a double bank and ditch ("multivallate"). There is a major entrance to the south-east, on the line of the modern road, and another to the north-east, following a track from the Stoke-sub-Hamdon church. Archaeological finds include bronze-work, chariot parts, iron currency bars, gold and silver coins, cremations and burials.The hill was captured around 45 AD by the Roman Second Legion (Augusta), led by the future emperor
Vespasian , who had already captured Maiden Castle and other hill forts to the south. Many Roman military artifacts have been found, and it is quite likely that the Second Legion made a temporary camp on the hill, as atHod Hill .After the initial campaigns, a more permanent Roman camp was established at nearby
Ilchester , and theFosse Way military road was constructed within convert|1|mi|km|0 of Ham Hill, on its way to Axminster and the garrison atExeter . The area was very prosperous in the Roman period, and several major villas have been found nearby, includingStoke-sub-Hamdon ,Odcombe , Lufton, andWest Coker .Just to the east of the main plateau is the isolated St. Michael's Hill, the "pointed hill" that gives its name to the village of
Montacute , and which was turned into amotte-and-bailey castle by theNormans .South of the main hill are
strip lynchet s, or low terraces created by ancient ploughing and cultivation, and thedeserted medieval village of Witcombe (or "Whitcombe"), which was finally abandoned in the17th century .The northern end of the plateau is crowned by a
war memorial to the dead of the nearby village ofStoke-sub-Hamdon killed during the twoWorld Wars . The memorial is clearly visible from the surrounding countryside, including theA303 trunk road which now follows the course of theFosse Way near the base of the hill.Just below the Monument is a bench dedicated to the memory of local student
Alan Kneebone , tragically murdered while at University in Wakefield in 2001.Climbing
There is a limited amount of climbing available at Ham Hill with roughly 20 routes. These are top roped routes due to the nature of the rock, the difficulty of "toping out" and because the rock is or geological interest. There are also several
Bouldering problems.References
Further reading
* South Somerset Museum, [http://www.southsomersetmuseums.org.uk/heritage/hamhill.htm Ham Hill]
* South Somerset Museum, [http://www.southsomersetmuseums.org.uk/heritage/montacute-witombe.htm Witcombe Deserted Village]
* Roman Britain, [http://www.roman-britain.org/places/ham_hill.htm Iron-Age Hillfort & Roman Fort Ham Hill]
* English Nature, [http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000144.pdf SSSI Citation]
* Somerset Historic Environment Record, [http://webapp1.somerset.gov.uk/her/details.asp?prn=55103 Ham Hill Hillfort, S of Stoke sub Hamdon]
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