Hengistbury Head
Headland and archeological site in Dorset / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Hengistbury Head?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Hengistbury Head (/ˈhɛŋɡɪstbəri/), formerly also called Christchurch Head, is a headland jutting into the English Channel between Bournemouth and Mudeford in the English county of Dorset. It is a site of international importance in terms of its archaeology and is scheduled as an Ancient Monument.[1] Declared a Local Nature Reserve in 1990, the head and its surroundings form part of the Christchurch Harbour Site of Special Scientific Interest.[2] It is also a Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, an Environmentally Sensitive Area and a Site of Nature Conservation Interest.[3] The name "Hengistbury Head" refers to the whole of the headland area; the elevated portion is called Warren Hill.
Location | near Christchurch |
---|---|
Region | Dorset, England |
Coordinates | 50°42′57″N 1°45′14″W |
Type | Ancient Monument, Local Nature Reserve, SSSI |
History | |
Periods | Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age |
Site notes | |
Condition | Well preserved |
There has been human activity on the site since the Upper Palaeolithic.[4][5] During the Victorian era, it was heavily quarried, and in recent years tourism has become significant – it receives more than one million visitors annually. The various habitats on the Head provide a home for many plants, birds and insects, some of them rare and critically endangered. Erosion remains a threat to the site, although long-term projects are intended to secure it for the future.