Finding hillforts with Stewart Ainsworth

'It's important to get the right maps,' says Stewart. 'These have a variety of names: Pathfinder, Explorer and Outdoor Leisure maps. They show all the features where clues are hidden – place names, roads, tracks, paths, buildings, fields, parish boundaries, and contours. I try to work out how an area has changed through time by looking at editions of maps of different dates. I look at the contours on the map and work out the lie of the land. I also look at how patterns of fields change. Regular boundaries often indicate modern fields; irregular boundaries, particularly areas of gently curving fields, can indicate earlier use of the land.'

'I like to look at the outside and surrounding landscape of a hillfort before going into the interior, it helps get the site into perspective,' he continues. 'I like to do my own rough plan first and then compare it with any existing work. That way I'm not influenced by what has been done before and I can look at the site with a fresh perspective. Then I compare my plans and notes with any other surveys.'