Hengistbury Head
View from Warren Hill overlooking Mudeford Spit
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| Location | near Christchurch |
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| Region | Dorset, England |
| Coordinates | 50°42′57″N 1°45′14″W / 50.71583°N 1.75389°WCoordinates: 50°42′57″N 1°45′14″W / 50.71583°N 1.75389°W |
| Type | Ancient Monument, Local Nature Reserve, SSSI |
| History | |
| Periods | Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | Well preserved |
Hengistbury Head /ˈhɛŋɡᵻstbrᵻ/ is a headland jutting into the English Channel between Bournemouth and Mudeford in the English county of Dorset. It is a site of international importance in terms of its archaeology and is scheduled as an Ancient Monument. Declared a Local Nature Reserve in 1990, the head and its surroundings form part of the Christchurch Harbour Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is also a Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, an Environmentally Sensitive Area and a Site of Nature Conservation Interest. The name "Hengistbury Head" refers to the immediate area; the elevated portion is called Warren Hill.
There has been human activity on the site since the Upper Palaeolithic. During the Victorian era, it was heavily quarried, and in recent years tourism has become significant – it receives more than one million visitors annually. The various habitats on the Head provide a home for many plants, birds and insects, some of them rare and critically endangered. Erosion remains a threat to the site, although long-term projects are intended to secure it for the future.
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