Ham Hill has a long and fascinating past. It was prehistoric man who first recognised the advantages of settling on top of this raised Hamstone outcrop. Little has survived the intervening 4000 years, but just enough has remained to let us know they were here. Artefacts such as flint tools, slingstones, quern stones and pottery that they left behind are on show at the Ham Hill Centre (phone ahead on 01935 823617 to see if a member of staff will be there to help you plan your visit). However most of the important artefacts are held at the County Museum in Taunton which is closed for refurbishment until 2010.
Intensive occupation on the hill starts in the Iron Age. Roundhouses were built, fields created and the settlement flourished. Trading links were wide and the 200 acre size of Hamdon Hillfort testifies to the powers it held in the South West.
Huge treeless ramparts (large slopes and ditches), with wooden palaside fences on the top and Hamstone slopes were built over hundreds of years during the Iron Age to deter possible invaders from enemy tribes. All went well until the first century A.D. when a fighting force to conquer all others invaded England. Under Vespasian's command, Hamdon Hillfort succumbed to Roman occupation!
Due to it's historic importance, Ham Hill is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and on NO account should any excavations be undertaken or metal detectors used. Doing so is an offence.
Please select a link below to find out more information on Ham Hills History:
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