Clearbury Ring is a univallate Iron Age hillfort which is partly in the parish of Downton in the county of Wiltshire in south-west England, approximately 5km (03miles) due south of Salisbury city centre.[1] The site, which is a scheduled monument, straddles the boundary with Odstock parish, and a slight scarp runs across the interior of the fort, marking the parish boundary.
The fort occupies a prominent hilltop overlooking the valley of the River Avon, at an altitude of 142m (466feet) above mean sea level.[2] The hillfort is immediately adjacent to the Clearbury Down Site of Special Scientific Interest, but is not included within it.[3]
Clearbury Ring encloses an area of approximately 2ha; the rampart is well preserved and consisted of a single bank with a ditch outside it. The fort had a single entrance on the north-west side, consisting simply of a 10m (30feet) wide gap with a causeway across the ditch. Traces of a quarry are evident within the fort's interior. The fort is overgrown with tree cover. In 1632, Clearbury Ring was recorded as Clereburu. A paleolithic hand axe was found here.[4] To the south-west of the fort are the remains of a lynchet, consisting of a steep 2m (07feet) high scarp that runs parallel to the fort's defences. Two other lynchets have been identified near the fort, although they are not as well-preserved, together with faint traces of ancient field boundaries.