Hill forts · South West England
Maumbury Rings
In or near Charminster.
Maumbury Rings — Neolithic henge monument.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Nearest railway station
- Dorchester South · 0.2 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Maumbury Rings, you can take a train to Dorchester South station, which is 0.2 km away. Entry is free. The postcode for sat-nav is DT1 1QN.
About
Maumbury Rings is a hill fort in the United Kingdom. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Wikidata describes it as: "Neolithic henge monument". Coordinates: 50.7079°, -2.4404°.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Dorset
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Maumbury Rings is a Neolithic henge in the south of Dorchester town in Dorset, England (grid reference SY690899). It is a large circular earthwork, 85 metres in diameter, with a single bank and an entrance to the north east. It was modified during the Roman period when it was adapted for use as an amphitheatre, and the site was remodelled again during the English Civil War when it was used as an artillery fort guarding the southern approach to Dorchester. The monument is now a public open space, and used for open-air concerts, festivals and re-enactments.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Description
Maumbury Rings is a roughly circular henge situated close to the centre of Dorchester. It has an internal diameter of around 50 metres. The bank has an average width of 4 metres, and is around 5.6 metres high internally and 4.0 metres high externally. A bulge in the earthworks to the southwest marks the site of a gun emplacement built during the English Civil War, and the inner side of the bank was terraced on the east and west sides at this time. There is no trace of the original internal ditch.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 50.7079, -2.4404
- District
- Dorset
- Parish
- Dorchester
- Postcode
- DT1 1QN
- Parliamentary constituency
- West Dorset
- Nearest railway station
- Dorchester South — 0.2 km
- Official site
- www.maumburyrings.co.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q1702090 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Maumbury Rings (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Maumbury-rings-inside.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Odeon Dorchester
Theatres · 0.2 km
Odeon
Cinemas · 0.3 km
Drummer Dray Horse
Public art & sculpture · 0.3 km
Junction Hotel
Historic pubs · 0.5 km
Dorchester War Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 0.5 km
South Lodge
Historic houses · 0.5 km
Borough Gardens
Country parks · 0.6 km
Dorchester Roman walls
Archaeological sites · 0.7 km
Plaza Cinema
Cinemas · 0.7 km
Plume Of Feathers Public House
Historic pubs · 0.8 km
The Tutankhamun Exhibition
Museums · 0.8 km
The Keep Military Museum
Museums · 0.8 km
Nearby
📷 5Theatres · South West England
Odeon Dorchester
Odeon Dorchester — a cinema heritage in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5📷 5Public art & sculpture · South West England
Drummer Dray Horse
Drummer Dray Horse — a public art in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · South West England
Junction Hotel
Junction Hotel in England South West, United Kingdom.
📷 5Memorials & monuments · South West England
Dorchester War Memorial
Dorchester War Memorial — Grade II listed building-listed memorial in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic houses · South West England
South Lodge
South Lodge — house in Dorchester, Dorset, England, UK.
Where to eat & stay near Maumbury Rings
Places to stay
📷 7
📷 5Caravan parks · South West England
The Manor House
The Manor House — a caravan park in england south east.
📷 5
📷 5Caravan parks · South West England
Hardy Country Park
Hardy Country Park — a caravan park in england south west.
📷 5
📷 5Caravan parks · South West England
Weymouth Bay Holiday Park
Weymouth Bay Holiday Park — a caravan park in england south east.
Places to eat & drink
📷 5Historic pubs · South West England
Junction Hotel
Junction Hotel in England South West, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · South West England
Plume Of Feathers Public House
Plume Of Feathers Public House in England South West, United Kingdom.
📷 7Historic pubs · South West England
Old House at Home
Old House at Home in England South West, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · South West England
The Royal Standard Public House
The Royal Standard Public House in England South West, United Kingdom.
📷 7Historic pubs · South West England
The Spice Ship Inn
The Spice Ship Inn in England South West, United Kingdom.
📷 7Historic pubs · South West England
The Old Swan Public House
The Old Swan Public House in England South West, United Kingdom.
More places in this region
Flagship📷 10Hill forts · South West England
Maiden Castle
Maiden Castle — Iron Age hill fort in Dorset, England, UK.
📷 5Hill forts · South West England
All Cannings Cross
All Cannings Cross — archaeological site in All Cannings, Wiltshire, England, UK.
📷 5Hill forts · South West England
Aquae Sulis
Aquae Sulis — town in Roman Britain on the site of Bath, England.
📷 5Hill forts · South West England
Aston Valley Barrow Cemetery
Aston Valley Barrow Cemetery — group of Bronze Age burial mounds in England.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Maumbury Rings?
- Maumbury Rings is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode DT1 1QN), in the parish of Dorchester.
- What is Maumbury Rings?
- Maumbury Rings — Neolithic henge monument.
- How do I get to Maumbury Rings?
- The nearest railway station is Dorchester South, about 0.2 km away. Drivers can use postcode DT1 1QN.
- Is Maumbury Rings a listed building?
- Maumbury Rings is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Is Maumbury Rings a protected site?
- Yes — Maumbury Rings is part of the Dorset National Landscape (AONB).
- Is Maumbury Rings free to visit?
- Yes, Maumbury Rings is free to enter.
- How do I get to Maumbury Rings?
- The nearest railway station is Dorchester South, about 0.2 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode DT1 1QN.