Old Winchester Hill hillfort
Old Winchester Hill hillfort, Meonstokecounty:
coords:
Hampshire
SU641206
otherwise: Oldewyncestre, 1461-1483
OLD WINCHESTER HILL, hillfort in Exton
It is not known how or when the association with WINCHESTER took place; it seems to be an early piece of scholarly speculation, and it may be significant that the mention in the time of Edward IV is in a document from Winchester College. The fort itself is mentioned in an Anglo Saxon period document as 'eorth burge (geat)'='(to the gate of the) earth fort'. An endorsement to this document states that king Eadred added to the grant of land in Exton a mill at the east gate of Winchester. Maybe in this very document there is scope for confusion of the gate of the fort in the text and the gate of the town in the endorsement giving rise to the idea that the fort was another Winchester.
... Old Winchester Hill. On the top of [t]his hill there was once a camp, or, rather fortress; and the ramparts are now pretty nearly as visible as ever. The same is to be seen on the Beacon Hill at Highclere. These ramparts have nothing of the principles of modern fortification in their formation. You see now signs of salient angles. It was a ditch and a bank, and that appears to have been all.
The place is described in text Cox 1738
- hillfort - Hampshire
... a raised Hill, surrounded at the Top with a large Trench, called Old Winchester, of which the neighbouring People report, That it was in ancient Times a great City; but there not being at this Time the least or Mark or Sign of it, we may with more reason believe, that it was only a Roman Summer-Camp.
The place is described in text Camden 1610
- Hantshire
Period - 1600s
a high Hill, invironed in the top with a large rampier, and they call it old Winchester: at which, by report, there stood in old time a cittie, but now neither top nor toe, as they say remaineth of it: so as a man would quickly judge it to have beene a summer standing campe and nothing els
