England
Dorset

Maiden Castle

This view gives some idea of the enormous size of Maiden Castle. Approached from Dorchester, the effect is quite staggering

Maiden Castle is the largest and most famous pre-Roman fortress in Britain. The site is not a "castle" in the medieval sense of the term, but a hilltop enclosure defended by high banks and ditches. Maiden Castle is nearly 47 acres in size, with banks as high as 80 feet. The term "maiden" may be misleading; it derives from the pre-Celtic (Brythonic) term "mai dun", which is usually translated as "great hill", but may also be rendered as "principle fort".

A causewayed camp was erected on the hill as far back as 3500 BCE, and later a bank barrow measuring an impressive 1800 feet was added. Sometime around 350 BCE the hill was turned into a full-fledged hill fort, probably under the direction of the Durotriges tribe, the region's dominant Celtic tribe.

Most of the visible ramparts were erected in the 1st century BC. These consist of three concentric rings of ditches and banks, with the entrance through each bank offset to isolate any invader who managed to penetrate the defenses.

In 43 AD the Romans under Vespasian besieged the "castle". The defender's huge store of some 40,000 sling stones brought up from nearby Chesil Beach proved useless against the Roman's leather shields, and Maiden Castle fell to the invaders. A mass grave of 38 defenders who died in the assault was found in 1937 near the eastern entrance. Each defender had been laid to rest with a joint of meat and a flagon of beer to take with them into the afterlife; a testament to the high regard the Romans must have had for the courage of their foes.

During the 4th century the Romans erected a small temple within the boundaries of the fort, the foundations of which can still be seen.

Images of Maiden Castle

Click on an image to see it full-sized

The remains of a 4th century Roman temple stand within the eastern end of Maiden Castle

Earthwork banks on the west side

This photo shows the main entrance. Here the earhworks snake back and forth. forcing an attacker to take a convoluted route to the gate

LOCATION
1 m SW Dorchester, Dorset, off A354

OPENING DETAILS
Open all year at any reasonable time.

ENTRY: free entry

English Heritage

photo of Maiden Castle is © David Ross and Britain Express