Preservation of Maiden Bower
Until very recently Maiden Bower was on the English Heritage At Risk Register and currently suffers from abuse by motorcyclists who ride up onto the monument. Our plans will return the Bower to its historic grassland setting, and secure and manage its long-term future.
The development of the site provides a unique opportunity to secure long term gains for the status of the monument, and also to increase public access to this heritage site in a sustainable manner. Interpretation boards will be provided around the monument to provide information for visitors
We are undertaking pre-development field work to increase our knowledge of the site and identify areas of interest. This will enhance the understanding of Maiden Bower and also assist in the development of a management plan to improve the setting of the monument. Geophysical surveys are currently underway and trial trenching will be carried out later in the year.
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Archaeology
Maiden Bower is an Iron Age Hill fort with an earlier Neolithic enclosure and evidence of Roman and Saxon occupation.
It is defined by a single 3 metre high bank, contained within an area of vegetation. It is the vegetation which aids the site’s identification in the wider landscape as the bank itself is not readily visible.
It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and the cultural and archaeological importance of the fort has been carefully considered when developing our proposals.
The area contains extensive evidence of archaeological remains from all periods. There are 70 sites of archaeological interest within a 1.5 km radius of the site, including the prehistoric burial site Five Knolls on Dunstable Downs and the Roman Town of Durocobrius beneath modern Dunstable.
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