Sunday 11 September 2011

British Hill Fort


There are more than ten thousand Celtic  "hill forts" in England and Wales. They are somewhat misnamed because most are not forts and many are not on hills. They served as restricted areas for livestock, grain storage, religious centres and aristocratic strongholds. They presented only a minor obstacle to am organised army and were captured by the Romans by direct assault with artillery support, not siege works.

I built this example for Hail Caesar games. I am not the world's greatest modeller so I kept it simple. I bought an Amera plastic 'large hill' with a flat top for the princely sum of a fiver. This is 33cm by 29cm and has a flat top. It is robust and has a central support underneath so you can stand metal models on it without disaster.

Three packs of two part epoxy putty for seven fifty provided the earthworks and three pieces of North downs flint from my back garden completed it. The gate barriers are from a Warlord Plastic Scorpion Box.

Total cost so far: £12.50

It is designed to be representational, rather than literal. Under the Hail Caesar rules it counts as a 'building' with no rules modifications except that it is garrisoned by one standard infantry unit (a warband) and one small infantry unit (slingers).

8 comments:

  1. I really like that. Drop a round hut or two on top and you've got an nice fortified Celtic village

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  2. Dear Paul
    Huts are next on the build list,
    J

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  3. It looks like it will be a lovely place to keep one's sheep. Nice work, John!

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  4. Dear JJ
    Cattle please. Us fearsome Celts keep cattle. Its the horns, you know.
    J

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  5. Really nice! I've got a small blog on how I built my round huts at http://gaelridire.blogspot.com/ Since I did this I discovered a spray paint that is speckled texture that I would now use for the walls.

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  6. Dear Gael
    I noticed your buildings when you put the blogs up. Great stuff.

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