Folkestone Castle Hill

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Ceasars Camp

In the civil parish of Folkestone. In the historic county of Kent (Modern Authority of Kent, 1974 county of Kent).

Large oval ringwork and bailey on spur of North Downs with strong counterscarp banks. It was apparently in existence in 1095 and 1137. Excavations in 1878 showed that the ditches were V-shaped, cut in solid chalk, without revetment. A well, and a deep pit containing animal bones, pottery and an arrow-head were found. Decorated chalk fragments, a penny of Stephen and wheel-made pottery, some of it having a green glaze were also discovered. Metal finds included knives, bolt-heads, nails and horseshoes. A bowl barrow also occurs on the site. The 1878 excavation, by General Pitt Rivers, has been claimed as the first scientific excavation of a medieval site in Britain this showed the site was Norman in date and not an Iron Age hill fort as previously supposed (in Timbs and Gunn it is described as Roman and Saxon rebuilt by the Normans).

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TR21403795

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 465687
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is TR 23 NW 2 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.ecastles.co.uk/folkestone.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2000, The Castles of Kent (Malvern) p44
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p111
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p21, 22
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p231
    Guy, John, 1980, Kent Castles (Meresborough Books)
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p231
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Page, Wm (ed), 1926, VCH Kent Vol2 p236
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Chalkley Gould and Downham, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Kent Vol1 p415-8
    Allcroft, A. Hadrian, 1908, Earthwork of England (London) p418 http://www.archive.org/details/earthworkofengla00allc
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p327
    Hasted, Edward, 1799 (2edn), A History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent Vol8 p152-188 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=63472
• Journal Articles
  • Bennett, P., 1987, ‘Interim report on work carried out in 1987 by the Canterbury Archaeological Trust. Castle Hill, Folkestone' Archaeologia Cantiana Vol104 p318–19
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' The Archaeological Journal Vol143 p309
    King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
    Bing, 1950, ‘Discovery of Masonry on Castle Hill, Folkestone' Archaeologia Cantiana Vol63 p147
    1937, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol1 p25-26
    Pitt Rivers, A.H.L.F., 1883. 'Excavations at Caesar's Camp near Folkstone, conducted in June and July, 1878.' Archaeologia Vol47 (II) p429-65
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/kenteng.html#kent37]