Burghclere Beacon
Burghclere Beacon, Burghclereparish:
county:
coords:
North Hampshire Downs
Burghclere
Hampshire
SU454572
The place is described in text Cobbett 1830
- Hampshire Downs
Period - 19th century, early
... We are now on the north side of that Beacon-hill for which we steered last Sunday. This makes part of a chain of lofty chalk-hills and downs, which divides all the lower part of Hampshire from Berkshire, though, the ancient ruler, owner, of the former, took a little strip all along, on the flat, on this side of the chain, in order I suppose, to make the ownership of the hills themselves the more clear of all dispute; just as the owner of a field hedge and bank owns also the ditch on his neighbour's side. From these hills you look, at one view, over the whole of Berkshire, into Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, and you can see the Isle of Wight and the sea. On this north side the chalk soon ceases, the sand and clay begin, and the oak-woods cover a great part of the surface. Amongst these is the farm-house, in which we are, and from the warmth and good fare of which we do not mean to stir, until we can do it without the chance of a wet skin.
- beacon - Burghclere parish: - Hampshire
... an Hill, on the Top of which is a military Camp (such as our Ancestors called a Burgh) surrounded with a large Trench, and there being a large Prospect from hence all the Country round, a Beacon is here set up, which by Fire gives Notice to all the neighbouring Parts, of the Approach of an Enemy. They were made of Piles of Wood, or Barrels filled with Pitch and set on a Pole. They were of use in the Saxon Heptarchy, when most of the petty Kingdoms had several Enemies, sometimes within a Day's March, but now they are no great Use, unless in foreign Wars.
Period - 17th century
Burghclear, seated under a high Hill, on the top of which is a warlike Rampier yet to be seen, where there is now a Beacon.
- Hantshire
Period - 1600s
... there being a faire and open prospect every way over the country lying underneath, there standeth a Beacon, that by light burning fire the enemies comming, may bee shewed to all the neighbour-inhabitants round about. And verily such watches or signals as this, we terme in common speech Beacons, of the old word Beacnian, that is, to shew by a signe, and for these many hundred yeeres, they have been in right great request, and much used among us: in some places, by heaping up a deale of wood, in others by barrels full of pitch fastened to the top of a mast or pole in the highest places of the countrey, at which, by night some doe ever more watch: and in old time, there were set horsemen as posts in many places, whom our Ancestors called Hobelers, who in the day time should give notice of the enemies approch.
- beacon - Evinger Hundred - Hamshire
Period - 1590s-1600s
3 posts, small, large, small, on a hillock symbol; the hillfort is shown between 2 right posts
the road leads to Beacon Hill
