h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Old Winchester Hill - A87788218
Author: bobstafford - U3151547

Please comment

Now here F48874?thread=8300651

I like.

Tis good!


lil x

Thank you

This is an interesting and lively account of an important hill fort.

Incidentally, I don't know of much bronze age activity, except farming on Cissbury Ring. I got the impression from the book I looked at that the climate had changed several times during human history. During the warmer and wetter periods the ring was habitated, but less so during cooler, drier periods. This makes sense to me, as there would have been springs people could have used. I've never understood where early people got their water from on the Downs.

Good question.

The answer to your question is dew ponds Thre is a dew pond on Winchester hill I bet there is one on Cissbury Ring.

There are two dew ponds were on Chanctonbury Hill dated, from flint tools excavated to the neolithic period.

Landscape archaeology too seemed to demonstrate that they were used by the inhabitants of the nearby hill fort (probably from an earlier date than that of the surviving late bronze age structure) for watering cattle.

Though someone will no doudt argue that Jack and Jill is a result of a deeply embeded race memory of the times our Neolithic ancestors carried water to and from a hillfort

Sorry whats a dew pond?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dew_pond

I hope that helps

Typical - I spent the first couple of months this year trying to decide whether to walk the South Downs Way National Trail or the Ridgeway at the end of this month, decided in the end to do the Ridgeway, and now Peer Review's being bombarded with articles about places along the South Downs Way...

So, the question was: 'I have added some map reference points to the entry - I need an opinion good idea or bad. If you feel like it try the links dose it spoil the entry your comments welcome'

Perhaps you could emphasise that Old Winchester Hill is not actually near Winchester, and instead is, if not quite in the middle of no-where, certainly remote. As such, my view is that the more information to enable someone to find and get to Old Winchester Hill, the better. So the map reference points are definitely a good idea. At present, though, the layout seems to me to be a bit odd, as 50.980777,-1.087665 is listed as a Header near the top of the article, with no explanation as to what these confusing numbers are until the very end of the entry, when they appear in a footnote.

I think they should definitely be included (though only once), possibly in a 'How to get to Old Winchester Hill' section. You could then explain that these work in Google maps and satnavs and list these grid numbers, mention that the Hill is right off the South Downs Way, which is a National Trail, Bridle way and Regional Cycle Route 89.

You could add a link to the South Downs National Park authority's website where you mention the South Downs National Park?
http://www.southdowns.gov.uk

<BB<

Tidy now BB just hope the points are covered

1 do the liinks add to the entry
2 is the altered text an improvement what you had in mind.

do you think the location referances add an extra dimension and improve the articles.

Do links add to the entry? Well, it depends on which links you mean.
I don't think you need to add a link to where I mentioned Old Winchester's Hill's remote location, just describing it as remote will suffice (especially as the link doesn't work?).

That said, I do believe that it is beneficial for an article on a subject that has received national or international recognition of importance to mention this recognition, and where applicable, add links that confirm this.
Old Winchester Hill is in the South Downs National Park - National Park status means that it is one of the top 15 natural locations in the UK.
That it is registered as a Scheduled Ancient Monument confirms that it has high historic value.
It is also a major feature on the South Downs Way, which is one of only 12 National Trails in England and the only National Trail in the UK to be entirely within a National Park and be suitable for walkers, horse-riders and cyclists.
I've just had a thought that you could add a link to the National Nature Reserve website:
http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designations/nnr/1006115.aspx

All this is independent proof that Old Winchester Hill is considered nationally to be an important site, and therefore it deserves to be written about on h2g2.

<BB<

Links should improve the overall effect of the Entry.

While the Entry can still be read in its entirety without touching the links, if preferred.


lil x

??

Good point, lil.

I'd also add that outside links can serve a couple of other functions:

1. You could use them to illustrate something - a link with a good map or picture could help the reader visualise what you're saying.

2. If you're talking about a place to visit, a link to the official website could give them map directions, opening times, prices, etc - information that might change with time, although the link would be stable.

All that is value added.

Internal links to the Guide should be;

1. Relevant to your Entry - giving them more information on a related topics.

2. A way to keep visitors to our site on the site. We want them to explore the Edited Guide. (Yeah, I know that crack about us being a 'roach motel' was unfortunate. I apologise. )

try that now tidier and with h2g2 links sorry no roaches

Looks good.

Thank you all I shall just leave it and await its fate

Hi Bob,

This is an area I know well - I used to live nearby. The Meon Valley is probably my favourite part of England - completely unspoilt. I often used to cycle up to OWH when I was young.

Someone once told me that Churchill addressed a huge number of troops there prior to the D-Day invasion, but I'd need to research that.

HMS Mercury is within sight of Old Winchester Hill

Yes, it's very close.

(We used to stop at the little booth there marked 'Officer of the Watch' and ask him if he had the time He never twigged.)