Location: a spring on Midsummer Hill.
Description: a spring with man-made ponds downstream

The pre-Roman camp on Midsummer Hill is owned largely by the National Trust, and the Eastnor estate has an interest in a small portion of it. The camp, which consisted of double ramparts separated by a ditch, covered up to 30 acres that enclosed both the summit of Midsummer Hill and the summit of Hollybush Hill.

Enclosed within the lower area of double ramparts of the camp is a spring, which has never been known to run dry. Downhill from the spring, which is nestled away from the prevailing wind, is a series of man-made ponds that may have been small reservoirs for the spring water. With such a water source, this would have been an ideal place for the early inhabitants to live, possibly on a seasonal basis.

The camp was constructed c.300 BC and an 1875 survey recorded 244 hut sites within the main camp enclosure, and several more hut hollows inside the rampart on the west side of the camp. There is evidence that the inhabitants ate grain but not that they farmed it themselves, and no querns for grinding corn have been found. There is evidence of fire and spinning, and early pottery, but no suggestion that they made the pots themselves or produced wool from their own flocks. Neither are there any human or animal remains. The lives of the people who lived here remain an enigma. It is also only speculation that the occupation of the camp came to an end following attacks by the Romans circa 48AD.

Illustrations:
1. The spring pool.
2. The fort ramparts.

 

The map alongside is a small section of our more comprehensive map of the area. For the complete map together with a description and history of this site see "Celebrated Springs of the Malvern Hills" (2012).

 

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Celebrated Springs of 
THE MALVERN HILLS  

A definitive work that is the culmination of 20 years researching the springs and wells of the Malvern Hills, published by Phillimore. This is the ideal explorers guide enabling the reader to discover the location and often the astounding and long forgotten history of over 130 celebrated springs and wells sites around the Malvern Hills. The book is hard back with dust cover, large quarto size with lavish illustrations and extended text. Celebrated Springs contains about 200 illustrations and well researched text over a similar number of pages, together with seven area maps to guide the explorer to the locations around the Malvern Hills. It also includes details on the long history of bottling water in the Malvern Hills.

Written by Bruce Osborne and Cora Weaver, this book is available on-line for £15.00 (delivered UK) - click Malvern Bookshop on the green panel top left. Alternatively send a cheque payable to Cora Weaver with your name and address to 4 Hall Green, Malvern, Worcs. WR14 3QX.