Sharpenhoe Clappers

The Iron Age fort of Sharpenhoe Clappers forms part of a series of defended sites established along the Chiltern Ridge during the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age, but the only regional example of a promontory fort, relying for its defence primarily on the strength of its topographical location.

During the 15th century part of the Sharpenhoe Clappers promontory was adapted as a warren, a breeding place to provide a consistent supply of meat and skins.

The importance of the site is enhanced by the survival of two cultivation terraces, which provide further evidence for the medieval management of this area of the chalk uplands, which complements the evidence from the warren itself. The importance of the site is further enhanced by its inclusion within a public amenity area. The name “Clappers” is thought to derive from the medieval Latin term “claperius”, or the French “clapier”: meaning a heap of stones or rabbit hole. “

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