Enjoy this hidden gem.
Bulstrode Camp is a good example of a large multivallate hillfort. It stands at the south-eastern end of the Misbourne Valley, between that river and the Alderbourne. It is the largest hillfort in Buckinghamshire, covering an area of 10.67 hectares (26.38 acres). It would originally have stood on an unwooded plateau and been visible from some distance, dominating the surrounding countryside. The name Bulstrode, first recorded as ‘Burstrod’, derives from the Anglo-Saxon for “the marsh belonging to the fort”.
The Camp’s defences consist of a double rampart with inner and outer ditches, except on the steep western side (Crab Hill) where the outer bank and ditch are not visible. The steepness of Crab Hill may have been one of the reasons why the Camp was situated where it is.
The total defensive system is about 27 metres (89 feet) wide. The inner rampart reaches a maximum height of 3.7 metres (12 feet) above its ditch, while the outer rampart reaches a maximum height of 1.8-2.1 metres (6-7 feet) above its ditch. The ramparts have been eroded and would certainly have been higher in antiquity. Serious levelling of the earthworks has occurred on the eastern side, just north of the footpath. This levelling looks as if it is connected with an avenue heading towards Bulstrode House shown on the 1686 Bulstrode estate map. An estate tradition claims that one of the Dukes of Portland levelled the rampart at the other, western, end of this avenue as well. More info here: http://gerrardscross.gov.uk/bulstrode-camp/