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The Iron Age inhabitants of Woodbury Castle knew all about 'location, location, location'.

They chose the spot on Woodbury Common carefully: at 600ft above sea level, it's the highest point in the area, with panoramic views of the River Exe to the west and River Otter to the east.

On a clear day you can see as far as Dartmoor and Somerset - perfect for keeping an eye out for potential enemy attacks, which was quite likely 2,500 years ago.

All that's left of Woodbury Castle is an empty moat, a steep sided bank, and an area which would have been used as accommodation by our Iron Age ancestors.

There is no structure to see, but the site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument because of its history.

The fort would have been home to a community

These days, the hill fort is a popular place for walkers and horse riders. The land is owned by Clinton Devon Estates, which has brought in archaeologists to draw up a map of what lies beneath the ground.

Using geophysical instruments, the team, led by Peter Bellamy of Dorset-based Terrain Archaeology, hopes to get a picture of how the site looked when it was inhabited.

"Woodbury Castle is an impressive Iron Age hill fort surrounded by a single large bank and ditch," said Peter.Μύ

"It is of an unusual shape, which suggests it may have started as quite a small enclosure that was later enlarged into the hill fort we see today."

The survey work started in March 2009, and this will be the most thorough investigation ever undertaken at the site.

Warden at Woodbury Common, Bungy Williams, said: "There were excavations in the 1930s, 1950s and 1970s so it has been looked at previously but without these sort of skills.

"We think the extension of the hill fort might have been added on about 100 to 200 years after the original part. And the archaeologists are beginning to believe that the hill forts in the area weren't always used - the inhabitants would move between Woodbury, Peak Hill and Blackberry Hill.

Looking across Woodbury Common to the hill fort

"But Woodbury would have been a very important site in terms of defensive features. The ramparts running up to the flat bit are specifically made and some of the material isn't local. It's flint, which they'd have brought in and that would have taken quite an effort."

The survey is part of a programme of research and restoration commissioned by Clinton Devon Estates, in partnership with English Heritage, Natural England and Devon Archaeology.

The site is badly eroded in places, and as part of the restoration in 2009, pathways will be provided to protect the hill fort. An archaeologist will be on hand during the work.

In another survey of the site, dozens of burial mounds have been discovered, which it's believed probably date back to the Iron Age - archaeologists are hoping to date the mounds.

"We haven't found any remains in the mounds," said Bungy "We've got acidic soil so they may have deteriorated. Some of the mounds are two to three feet high and we've been walking over them."

He says the results of the survey at the main site are eagerly awaited: "We aren't expecting to find foundations, but we are hoping to find hearths and get an idea of the lay-out, which will show us how they lived.

"For example, was this a series of small homes or one big building? There is no digging involved. They carry out sonic tests to see what is beneath the ground.

"Who knows what the survey work will find - it's very exciting."