Скачать или смотреть A scenic journey in Swaledale; Reeth over High Harker Hill with its large Iron Age Maiden Castle

Walk along the lovely River Swale out of the pretty village of Reeth and to High Harker Hill and you will discover the Iron Age Maidon Castle. A pile of stones now but the earth works around show a major contruction was once there.
It is a large hillside enclosure surrounded on the lower side by a 3 metre deep ditch . There are traces of a stone rampart wall on top of the bank, but the site is unlikely to have had any significant defensive purpose since the interior is overlooked by higher ground immediately to the south. There is a single entrance on the eastern side where large, roughly dressed sandstone blocks may be evidence for a gate structure. The entrance is approached by the collapsed remains of a 100 metre long avenue formed by two parallel stone walls 5 metres apart which appear to have been built at a later date. The purpose of this structure is unknown. Few features can be identified within the enclosure except for the foundations of two stone round houses. #history #yorkshiredales #hikingtheYorkshiresdales