Maiden Castle, Dorset
Maiden Castle in 1934
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 Shown within Dorset
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| Location |
Winterborne St Martin, Dorset grid reference SY669884 |
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| Coordinates | 50°41′40″N 2°28′05″W / 50.694495°N 2.468192°W |
| Type | Hillfort |
| Area | 6.4 ha (16 acres) (first hill fort) 19 ha (47 acres) (developed hill fort) |
| History | |
| Founded | 600 BC (first hill fort) 450 BC (developed hill fort) |
| Periods | Iron Age |
| Cultures | Durotriges |
| Site notes | |
| Ownership | English Heritage |
| Public access | Yes |
Coordinates: 50°41′40″N 2°28′05″W / 50.694495°N 2.468192°W
Maiden Castle is an Iron Age hill fort 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) south west of Dorchester, in the English county of Dorset. Hill forts were fortified hill-top settlements constructed across Britain during the Iron Age.
The earliest archaeological evidence of human activity on the site consists of a Neolithic causewayed enclosure and bank barrow. In about 1800 BC, during the Bronze Age, the site was used for growing crops before being abandoned. Maiden Castle itself was built in about 600 BC; the early phase was a simple and unremarkable site, similar to many other hill forts in Britain and covering 6.4 hectares (16 acres). Around 450 BC it underwent major expansion, during which the enclosed area was nearly tripled in size to 19 ha (47 acres), making it the largest hill fort in Britain and by some definitions the largest in Europe. At the same time, Maiden Castle's defences were made more complex with the addition of further ramparts and ditches. Around 100 BC habitation at the hill fort went into decline and became focused at the eastern end of the site. It was occupied until at least the Roman period, by which time it was in the territory of the Durotriges, a Celtic tribe.
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