2015

SP8306 : Cradle Footpath leading to Beacon Hill

taken 9 years ago, near to Ellesborough, Buckinghamshire, England

Cradle Footpath leading to Beacon Hill
Cradle Footpath leading to Beacon Hill
A view along the footpath which runs along the flank of Beacon Hill. A diversion off the footpath will take you up quite a steep slope to the top of the hill. This footpath is part of the "Cradle Footpath" and links up to the Ridgeway LDP.
You may be able to discern a slight "dimple" in the top of the hill just to the left (as viewed) of its apex: this is the remains of a Bronze Age Bowl Barrow atop the hill, see SP8306 : Bronze Age Bowl Barrow on Beacon Hill
Cymbeline's Castle & Beacon Hill

Adjacent to Beacon Hill to the west is an ancient Motte & Bailey system known as Cymbeline's Castle (or Mount). Any connection with the ancient British king - whom Shakespeare wrote a play about - is I think speculative at best. However it has been suggested that the nearby Kimbles (Little & Great) are named after him, so it does at least have some plausible link back to pre-Roman times. Although Shakespeare used the name Cymbeline (for his entirely fictional tale), this 1st Century king who ruled a large area of Southern England before the Roman invasion, is more generally known historically as Cunobelinus, though he is known also by various other names such as Cynfelyn and Kymbelinus.
The motte and bailey(s) are overgrown with impenetrable scrub - and surrounded by barbed wire, so access to the site is unfortunately not possible, however if you scale Beacon Hill, the views down to it are very good.
Cymbeline's Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and there is an extensive and informative write up on the EH website here LinkExternal link
Beacon Hill itself looks an eminently suitable place for a hill fort, and it too is a Scheduled Ancient Monument as it is the site of a Bronze Age Bowl Barrow see LinkExternal link
Just south of the barrow is another S.A.M., A Pillow Mound LinkExternal link thought to be associated with the breeding of rabbits on the hill.


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Rob Farrow and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Paths Village, Rural settlement Place: Ellesborough Primary Subject: Path other tags: Hill Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
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SP8306, 73 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Rob Farrow   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Saturday, 18 April, 2015   (more nearby)
Submitted
Tuesday, 28 April, 2015
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SP 8356 0621 [10m precision]
WGS84: 51:44.9019N 0:47.4607W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SP 8358 0664
View Direction
SOUTH (about 180 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Geograph
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