Very little is known about the way of life of the people in this part of Surrey before the Romans arrived. They used iron, grew corn, had coinage, made pots and in north-west Surrey at least, lived in round houses.

One recent suggestion sees a population which farms further north taking their grazing animals - pigs, perhaps cattle and sheep - into summer pastures in the then heathy Hurtwood and wooded Weald.

The fort could have been used by those looking after the beasts, as well as a refuge if required. Another view sees the prominent hill-top as having a religous purpose of some kind.

A tumble of stones found in the deep inner ditch indicated a stone facing to the rampart. Pottery and bones of sheep, ox and wild boar and evidence of fires were found about 18 inches down, close inside the sheltering northern bank.

The shattered pieces of at least twenty querns (left), used for grinding corn, lay in the ditch here and elsewhere.

Baked clay sling-bullets were used for hunting. The sling-stones would hit attackers who had reached the bank between the two ditches; the so-called 'killing field'.

This hill fort has been excavated twice. Once in 1930 and in 1974 trenches were cut across the ramparts to the south of the ancient entrance, and in places where magnetic anomalies where found.

On the right is a Plan of Holmbury Hill Fort reproduced by kind permission of the Society of Antiquaries of London.

Below is a link to the most recent survey of the Hill Fort.

www.surreyarchaeology.org.uk/content/holmbury-hillfort-survey-report

You can download your own copy of the Iron Age Hill Fort history as a PDF by clicking here.