Reasons for Designation
Hilltop enclosures are defined as sub-rectangular or elongated areas of
ground, usually between 10ha and 40ha in size, situated on hilltops or
plateaux and surrounded by slight univallate earthworks. They date to between
the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age (eighth-fifth centuries BC) and are usually
interpreted as stock enclosures or sites where agricultural produce was
stored. Many examples of hilltop enclosures may have developed into more
strongly defended sites later in the Iron Age period and are therefore often
difficult to recognise in their original form. The earthworks generally
consist of a bank separated from an external ditch by a level berm. Access to
the interior was generally provided by two or three entrances which consisted
of simple gaps in the rampart. Evidence for internal features is largely
dependent on excavation, and to date this has included large areas of sparsely
scattered features including post and stakeholes, hearths and pits.
Rectangular or square buildings are also evident; these are generally defined
by between four and six postholes and are thought to have supported raised
granaries. Hilltop enclosures are rare, with between 25 and 30 examples
recorded nationally. A greater number may exist but these could have been
developed into hillforts later in the Iron Age and could only be confirmed by
detailed survey or excavation. The majority of known examples are located in
two regions, on the chalk downland of Wessex and Sussex and in the Cotswolds.
More scattered examples are found in north-east Oxfordshire and north
Northamptonshire. This class of monument has not been recorded outside
England. In view of the rarity of hilltop enclosures and their importance in
understanding the transition between Bronze Age and Iron Age communities, all
examples with surviving archaeological remains are believed to be of
national importance.
Details
The monument includes the remains of an oval enclosure measuring c.400m from
north to south by c.170m from east to west. Although similar in area and
appearance to a promontory hillfort, due to the limited scale of the
earthworks that formerly defined its east and south edges it is now believed
to have been a Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age stock enclosure. These
earthworks were described by Creswell in 1789 as comprising a double ditch,
not very broad or deep. Later fieldwork, which includes a survey carried out
by Hart in 1978, confirmed that the material from these ditches had been used
to construct low banks in between. These banks are no longer visible as
upstanding features because, in 1978, the ditches were infilled and the
earthworks flattened to provide a level field for the Derbyshire and
Lancashire Gliding Club. The line of the earthworks is still visible from the
air, however, and archaeological remains survive as buried features. Also in
1978, the interior of the enclosure was ploughed to bedrock but will
nevertheless retain deepcut archaeological features such as post-holes, drains
and trenches. On the west side, the enclosure is defined by a bank and berm or
terrace which lies just below the crest of the steep face of Burr Tor. In
c.1824, or at some time earlier, a carved stone of Bronze Age date was
apparently found in the vicinity of the enclosure. The stone is finely carved
with spiral designs on both sides and is now on display at Sheffield City
Museum.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
23317
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
