Introduction to Geocaching
The Ham Hill Country Park is on the site of an Iron Age Hill Fort.
Ham Hill has a long and fascinating past. It was prehistoric man who first recognised the advantages of settling on top of this raised Hamstone outcrop. Little has survived the intervening 4000 years, but just enough has remained to let us know they were here. Artefacts such as flint tools, slingstones, quern stones and pottery that they left behind are on show at the Ham Hill Centre (phone ahead on 01935 823617 to see if a member of staff will be there to help you plan your visit). However most of the important artefacts are held at the County Museum in Taunton.
Intensive occupation on the hill starts in the Iron Age. Roundhouses were built, fields created and the settlement flourished. Trading links were wide and the 200 acre size of Hamdon Hillfort testifies to the powers it held in the South West.
Huge treeless ramparts (large slopes and ditches), with wooden palaside fences on the top and Hamstone slopes were built over hundreds of years during the Iron Age to deter possible invaders from enemy tribes. All went well until the first century A.D. when a fighting force to conquer all others invaded England. Under Vespasian's command, Hamdon Hillfort succumbed to Roman occupation!
Ham Hill is a hillfort with two or three ditches and ramparts, probably constructed in the Iron Age. These earthworks were constructed by hand and usually followed the natural contours of a prominent landscape feature; often a hill. Exactly why these hillforts were built and what role they played is not fully understood as every case is different.
Around the top of the upper rampart there probably would have been a dry built Hamstone wall or wooden palisade to provide extra protection against attackers. It is more likely with the availability of so much stone nearby that a wall would have been constructed. This would have lasted longer, and required less maintenance than a wooden palisade.
Over the years natural slipping of the earth down the bank would have silted up the ditch. This would need to be cleared out regularly, with any spoil being dumped along the outer edge (top of the next lower) rampart. At strategic places around the hillfort, gaps were left in the ramparts as entrances. These entrances were heavily defended, including the use of huge wooden gates. Quite how many entrances there were at Ham Hill is unknown, as no full archaeological excavations have ever taken place.
During the 16th century, quarrying was the main activity on the hill, and it was in 1542 that Leland, the private chaplain to King Henry VIII, visited the hill and 'marvelled at the fine stone quarried here'. An enduring legacy of medieval Britain is the 'frying pan'. A circular feature, near the war memorial, the frying pan is the old livestock show ring from past medieval fayres. Starting on April 25th (St Mark's Day), a large fayre took place on Ham Hill, much like the Bath and West Show today. The constant parading of animals around a ring has created the recognisable circular landscape feature seen today. Its perfect shape misled early archaeologists into thinking it was a Roman amphitheatre.
It is run and operated by the Ham Hill Rangers, and South Somerset District Council on behalf of the landowners. Their website is here. Stoke Bunnies and Turnstones have been in discussion with both the Rangers and SSDC about setting some caches on the hill, supporting geocaching, and letting visitors to the country park explore parts of the park they might not otherwise visit.
The caches are in 2 rings, the Inner Ring and Outer Ring. This cache is the start of the Inner Ring, which has been set as an introduction to geocaching, and will be partially managed by the Rangers, who will assist visitors who would like to try geocaching in the Country Park.
The Outer Ring is a little different, but can be started after the end of the Inner Ring.
The Inner Ring is a comfortable walk of 1.5 miles, not really wheelchair accessible, but mostly off-road stroller accessible. Geodogs are welcome all over the Country Park, usual rules on clean-up apply.
Ham Hill Country Park has lots of old quarry faces, some hidden in bushes. For everyone's safety, please keep away from the quarry edges, and don't attempt any cliff climbing.
This series of caches was set for the St Georges Day event on 23Apr11 at Ham Hill Country Park. The Country Park gets very busy on summer days, especially at weekends, so be careful. Replace all caches exactly as found.
A word of warning. What appears to be a good location for a cache on a cold, wet Wednesday in February, isn't necessarily so when the sun comes out in April. You may have considerable difficulty retrieving this one at busy times on the hill.
The first cache is a 400ml screwtop beaker. Once you've found it, continue on the main path, until you get to the Time Stones, then turn left, and go through the gate into the field.
This cache is set with kind permission of the Ham Hill Country Park Rangers, and South Somerset District Council. There is a trackable on the Ranger Station noticeboard you can discover.
There are other caches to find in and around the Country Park, why not take a look at these while you're in the area.
A Quarry Jolly GC1KNBM by Muzzys
Hamhill View GC2CVT8 and Norton Covert GC2T0TM by sdg2g08
The Hamstone Village Series GC1HPTP, GC1J1KR, GC1J253, GC1JPBR, GC1JPBA, GC1KFB7 by the V-Dubbers