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Three Camps on Harding's Down is a prehistoric hillfort located in Wales and protected as a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw reference GM060. The site sits upon bedrock composed of Upper Devonian sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded formations that date to the Late Devonian period. This underlying geology of hard, durable stone would have provided a stable foundation for the hillfort's construction and natural defensive qualities through the exposed rock outcrops that characterise the landscape.
The monument takes its name from the three distinct camp enclosures visible within or around the site, a feature typical of some Iron Age hillforts which underwent multiple phases of construction or modification. The defensive earthworks would have exploited the natural topography of Harding's Down to maximise protection for its inhabitants. Such hillforts served as communal centres and fortified settlements during the later prehistoric period, controlling local resources and trade routes.
The sandstone and conglomerate bedrock surrounding Three Camps would have been a valuable local resource, potentially quarried for building stone and tools. This geology, combined with the site's commanding position on the downs, made it an strategically important location for prehistoric communities. The hillfort remains an important monument for understanding Iron Age settlement patterns and defensive architecture in Wales.
Three Camps on Harding's Down is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM060. View the official record →
Three Camps on Harding's Down is a prehistoric hillfort located in Wales and protected as a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw reference GM060.
Three Camps on Harding's Down dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a hillfort. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Three Camps on Harding's Down is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is GM060.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Thurba Camp (3.9 km), Lewes Castle Promontory Fort (4 km), Deborah's Hole Camp (4.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Three Camps on Harding's Down's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Three Camps on Harding's Down stands on Upper Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.