Cherbury in Charney Basset, Berkshire (“Cerenburhg”): an Iron Age Hillfort That Isn’t on a Hill

Having bored even myself of Wiltshire I head out to God’s Own county—Berkshire. Except a Labour government gave this part of it to Oxford in 1974, let’s hope we don’t have another one of those. Congratulations to what should by now be the Right Honourable Sir Keir Starmer, First Lord of the Treasury, working class hero and champion of the people. Honestly, I am pleased.

This walk is following the Saxon charter of Charney (Cern ieg, “Charn island”) up from the Ock (“Eoccen”) to the fort of Cherbury. I discuss its history and photograph some deer, jackdaws and butterflies.

These history walk videos are about the English landscape in and around the south west of England (though I make the odd foray into Wales). I often use ancient charters (such as Saxon charters) to give me insight into the way the landscape was viewed in the past.

But it is not the Saxons that interest me the most (though they do) but the prehistoric world and its ancient monuments, trackways and ditches.

#Archaeology #oldenglishcharters #antiquarians #historywalks #britishhistory #berkshire #hillforts