History

Solsbury Hill was occupied as a hill fort during the early Iron Age, between 300BC and 100BC, one of the southernmost of fortifications across the Cotswolds. During this time huts were built from timber and wattle and daub. A 20 foot wide rampart was constructed around the settlement, flanked on both sides by dry stone walls. In previous times there were tales of a temple on the top to Bladud, the legendary king of the Britons and also that the visible remains were of a Saxon fort used in the siege of Bath in 577 AD. However, archaeological excavations suggest that the site was occupied from about 500 to 100 BC with up to 30 huts in occupation at any one time. Possibly the huts were then burnt down and the rest of the settlement destroyed and abandoned.

In later history, Little Solsbury Hill is a possible site of the Battle of Badon, fought in around 496AD between the Saxons and the British. There is also evidence of medieval field systems on the hill top.

The site has a past history of agricultural use. Barley was grown on the summit at the end of the eighteenth century and the hill was still under cultivation well into the nineteenth century.

The National Trust owns the top plateaux, following a generous donation from the Hicks family in 1930.

Watch the video below to see Little Solsbury Hill from the air.