Clearbury Ring

Clearbury Ring is a univallate Iron Age hillfort which is partly in the parish of Downton in the county of Wiltshire in southwest England, approximately 5 kilometres (3 mi) due south of Salisbury city centre.[1] The site, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, straddles the boundary with Odstock parish, and a slight scarp runs across the interior of the fort, marking the parish boundary.[2]

Ditch and rampart of Clearbury Ring

The fort occupies a prominent hilltop overlooking the valley of the River Avon, at an altitude of 142 metres (466 ft) above mean sea level.[3] The hillfort is immediately adjacent to the Clearbury Down Site of Special Scientific Interest, but is not included within it.[4]

Clearbury Ring encloses an area of approximately 2 hectares (4.9 acres); the rampart is well preserved and consisted of a single bank with a ditch outside it. The fort had a single entrance on the northwest side, consisting simply of a 10-metre (33 ft) wide gap with a causeway across the ditch. Traces of a quarry are evident within the fort's interior.[3] The fort is overgrown with tree cover. In 1632, Clearbury Ring was recorded as Clereburu.[3] A paleolithic hand axe was found here.[5]

To the southwest of the fort are the remains of a lynchet, consisting of a steep 2-metre (6 ft 7 in) high scarp that runs parallel to the fort's defences. Two other lynchets have been identified near the fort, although they are not as well-preserved, together with faint traces of ancient field boundaries.[3]