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Old Sarum in LiDAR

Old Sarum is an Iron Age hillfort in Wiltshire. Here it is in the Environment Agency's 1 m LiDAR, shaded so the shape of the ground stands out. Look for the oval line of inner bank, deep ditch and outer bank, and the big round castle mound and ditch at the centre.

What you can see

• The Iron Age hillfort is roughly oval, up to 580 metres east to west and 460 metres north to south. (Historic England)
• The defences enclose about 12 hectares: an inner bank, a steep-sided ditch up to 30 metres wide in places, and an outer bank lower down the slope. (Historic England)
• After 1066 a royal castle was built inside the hillfort, with a mound over 100 metres across at its centre, ringed by a ditch about 20 metres wide and over 6 metres deep. (Historic England)
• Several major Roman roads meet at Old Sarum. (Historic England)

Visiting

Paid entry (free to English Heritage members); hours change with the season, so check English Heritage's opening times before you go. (English Heritage)

Official record: Historic England list entry 1015675: Old Sarum.

Look, don't detect or dig

Old Sarum is a Scheduled Monument, protected by law because it's of national importance. In England it's a criminal offence to use a metal detector on a Scheduled Monument without Historic England's written consent, and to remove any object of archaeological or historical interest found with one. Damaging a scheduled monument is an offence too, and works on one, including digging, need Scheduled Monument Consent first. More on Scheduled Monuments and the rules.

Keep to paths and open access land, and follow the Countryside Code.

More sites in LiDAR

Stonehenge · Danebury · Oakley Down · Knowlton · all sites