AN IRON AGE fort has been discovered in the heart of a huge housing estate in Valley Park at Chandler's Ford.

The Daily Echo was the first to reveal that the area could be on the brink of an internationally important find.

Now archaeological excavations in Zionshill Copse have unearthed bone and pottery dating from between 400 to 50 years BC.

That means the Valley Park site forms the remains of a middle Iron Age sub-rectangular settlement which was constructed at a comparable time with the famous Danebury Hill Fort on the outskirts of Stockbridge, near Winchester.

The Valley Park feature could become a site of national or even international importance with English Heritage scheduling it as an ancient monument.

Test Valley Council is also likely to step in to protect the site from further degradation and promote it educationally.

The system of ditches and banks was discovered during an archaeological earthwork survey of Valley Park woodlands, west of Knightwood Road, at the end of last year.

Dr Roy Entwhistle of Berkshire Archaeological Services was commissioned to undertake recent excavations to establish whether it dated from the Iron Age or was the remains of a medieval hunting lodge.

Local councillor Alan Dowden said: "An Iron Age settlement in Valley Park has officially been established.

"It will be of international importance and now Test Valley Council will have the big problem of protecting it.

"It is about 100 by 120 metres. It is right in the woodland and, obviously, there is general public access. They are going to have to do a lot more work now."

The councillor also said he doubted whether permission for the development of nearly 2,000 homes west of Knightwood would have got the go ahead had the existence of the Iron Age site been known.

"If all this was known back in 1988 would the housing ever have happened I suggest not," he said.

A Test Valley Council spokesperson said: "We are expecting a report from our consultant and will be in a position to give a clearer statement next week.

"All we can say at the moment is that the preservation condition of the site is excellent and the evidence that has been produced indicates an important site.

"When we have had chance to review the report we may well consider passing the information on to English Heritage with a view to it being scheduled."

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