Maiden Castle Hill fort Dorchester is the biggest Iron Age defensive settlement in Europe with evidence of use for over 700 years froom the Iron Age through to the time just before AD 43 and the arrival of the Romans into Britain. There is mixed evidence of a military attack on the settlement with skeletal remains excavated by Mortimer Wheeler in the 1930s; one of which has a spear head embedded in the spine. However it is thought that this was probably exceptional and a small skirmish as most of the Durotridges were by then living in the town of Durnovaria just to the north ( Dorchester). The hill was abandoned post ad 500 and has been grassland for sheep farming since. Today, the fort which is thought to derive its name from the two words, ‘mai’ and dun’ meaning large hill, is a popular place to walk dogs, fly kites and in my case a drone with a camera. More can be seen at the Dorset Gallery Skydown Dorset at www.skydown.co.uk
