Uley Bury Hill Fort

Uley Bury is one of the largest and best-preserved Iron Age hill forts in the Cotswolds, occupying a flat-topped promontory above the village of Uley with views across the Severn Vale.

Built around 300 BC and used through to roughly 100 AD, it covers 32 acres and sits at about 230 metres above sea level. The earthworks are substantial — a double line of ramparts running more than a mile in total, cut into the scarp edge on three sides where the natural slopes do the heavy lifting.

Excavations in the 1970s turned up iron currency bars, quern stones, pottery, and a crouched burial; separately, a gold coin of the Dobunni tribe and a Roman silver coin have been found here, hinting at a long arc of occupation and exchange. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Access is free and open year-round. There is a small informal parking area at the north end of the fort, reached by taking the road uphill from Uley village — the turning is easy to miss, so look for where the road opens out near the top. You can also walk up from the village itself via the footpath beside the church, which takes around 20 minutes.

The plateau is wide and exposed, with good walking in all directions along the rampart edge; the views west towards the Severn estuary are the pay-off. Cattle graze here periodically, so dogs should be kept under close control. There are no facilities on site.