The hill is the site of the original settlement, north of the
River Cam. There is evidence of
pre-Roman activity, but the
Romans created a town called
Duroliponte here. It was a convenient place to cross the river. At the time it was at the head of the navigable part of the river, then known as the
River Granta.
St Peter's Church, located halfway up the hill, has some pieces of Roman tile in its walls. In the
Anglo Saxon period, the hill was used for defence. In 1068, the
Normans built
Cambridge Castle on the hill. The castle is no longer extant; only the castle mound and some groundworks remain. ==See also==