Hascombe Hill

An Iron Age multivallate hillfort occupying a prominent position on a greensand ridge near the village of Hascombe in Surrey, England. The roughly trapezoidal enclosure covers 2.4 hectares with naturally steep sides scarped at the top, a defensive ditch 1.5 m deep, and reinforced ramparts on the northeast broken by a 24 m entrance passage. First excavated by S. E. Winbolt in 1931, the dominant pottery assemblage dates to the Middle Iron Age (c. 400-100 BC), including material from as far as Cornwall indicating participation in a wide trade network. Evidence of iron-working was found in a square pit containing charcoal, burnt sandstone, and iron slag. The site was likely abandoned before the Late Iron Age, possibly during the Roman invasions of 55-54 BC.