Torberry Hill - a hill fort near South Harting

Torberry Hill lies a kilometre north west of the large downland village of South Harting, just to the south of West Harting and the hamlet of Quebec.

The Hill is the site of a contour hillfort which was discovered by archaeologists in 1948.

Although excavation has proved a little difficult due to repeated ploughing of some of the site over the years, enough evidence has been gathered to indicate that Torberry was an important place over two thousand years ago - one of a number of iron age sites on and around this part of the South Downs, including the Devils' Jumps at Treyford Hill seven kilometres away and Bevis's Thumb.

Experts think that the fort at Torberry Hill dates from the same period as The Trundle north of Lavant.

Although it's hard to be exact in these matters, it is likely that the fort at Torberry Hill was a fairly major affair by at least the second century BC. It is also likely that Torberry was occupied but not fortified for three or four hundred years before this too.

Like the Trundle, the attractions of Torberry Hill as a safe and powerful location are obvious - with commanding views, access to water and fairly rich agricultural land on offer nearby.

The fortifications consisted of a ditch with a rampart behind it following the contours of the top of the hill in a warped figure of eight shape nearly 400 metres long.

The Devil and Torberry Hill

There is also a legend of Torberry Hill - that is was formed by the contents of the Devil's Spoon as he flung away his hot punch while supping from the Devil's Punchbowl near Hindhead.

Other legends associated with Torberry include midsummer fairies and buried treasure left by Royalist soldiers during the English Civil War - treasure that can only be discovered by ploughing the land with a golden share.

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