Dyrham and Hinton Hill

About trip

This may be only a short walk but it is rich in history. Dyrham is a small village, clustered around the church and walled grounds of the mansion of Dyrham Park. The 13th century Church of St Peter is nestled against the side of a wooded hill. Inside is a Norman font, and a brass of Sir Morys Russell and his wife which is at least 400 years old. The historical importance of Hinton Hill is much greater than the hillfort and lynchets suggest. As you walk past the hill or stand in the fort, you can almost visualize the British struggling uphill against the Saxons on the hilltop, culminating in a battle with a significant outcome for Saxon settlement in Britain. Directions: a Park in Dyrham and walk uphill to the small green. Turn left signed ‘St Peter’s Church’ and ‘Cotswold Way’, past Dyrham House to the Cotswold Way bridleway on the right. b Turn right and walk uphill passing through the metal gate. Follow the path alongside the wall to a ‘public footpath’ sign just before the road. c Turn left following the direction of the sign down to a stile where several hedges meet. d Cross the stile and continue uphill to the right of the hedge. Walk past the hillfort, on either the higher or lower path, down to the road. e Turn left at the road and after 50yds (46m) turn left again following the road downhill to the next road junction. f Turn left and pass the waterfall to take the second left turn back to the car. Places of Interest: 1 Dyrham Park was originally an ancient enclosure for deer. The current house stands on the site of a former Tudor manor, rebuilt at the end of the 17th century by William Blathwayt, then Secretary of State. In the late 18th century the formal gardens were cleared and replaced with landscaped parkland under the direction of Humphrey Repton. The house and deer park now belong to the National Trust. 2 These low banks are the remains of an ancient field system of strip lynchets, probably medieval in age. The terraces eased cultivation by creating areas of flatter land in otherwise sloping ground. The land here has been farmed since prehistoric times and local finds have included flint tools. 3 Hinton Hill is the site of the AD577 Battle of Deorham, scene of a Saxon victory over Celts and Britons. By occupying the hillfort and defeating three British kings the Saxons thereby captured Gloucester, Cirencester, and Bath and opened up the way for Saxon settlement further west, pushing the British into Wales and Cornwall.