Slight univallate hillfort on Conygar Hill

Reasons for Designation

Slight univallate hillforts are defined as enclosures of various shapes, generally between 1ha and 10ha in size, situated on or close to hilltops and defined by a single line of earthworks, the scale of which is relatively small. They date to between the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age (eighth - fifth centuries BC), the majority being used for 150 to 200 years prior to their abandonment or reconstruction. Slight univallate hillforts have generally been interpreted as stock enclosures, redistribution centres, places of refuge and permanent settlements. The earthworks generally include a rampart, narrow level berm, external ditch and counterscarp bank, while access to the interior is usually provided by two entrances comprising either simple gaps in the earthwork or an inturned rampart. Postholes revealed by excavation indicate the occasional presence of portal gateways while more elaborate features like overlapping ramparts and outworks are limited to only a few examples. Internal features included timber or stone round houses; large storage pits and hearths; scattered postholes, stakeholes and gullies; and square or rectangular buildings supported by four to six posts, often represented by postholes, and interpreted as raised granaries. Slight univallate hillforts are rare with around 150 examples recorded nationally. Although on a national scale the number is low, in Devon they comprise one of the major classes of hillfort. In other areas where the distribution is relatively dense, for example, Wessex, Sussex, the Cotswolds and the Chilterns, hillforts belonging to a number of different classes occur within the same region. Examples are also recorded in eastern England, the Welsh Marches, central and southern England. In view of the rarity of slight univallate hillforts and their importance in understanding the transition between Bronze Age and Iron Age communities, all examples which survive comparatively well and have potential for the recovery of further archaeological remains are believed to be of national importance.

The slight univallate hillfort on Conygar Hill survives well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed.

Details

The monument includes the slight univallate hillfort situated on Conygar Hill, an isolated carboniferous outcrop overlooking an area of surrounding Levels. The hillfort, known as Conygar Camp, has a slightly sloping irregularly shaped interior with maximum dimensions of 55m from north west to south east and 100m from north east to south west. The interior of the hillfort contains a large elongated mound which represents the highest point of the natural rock outcrop. There are also antiquarian references to hut circles within the interior of the hillfort. In the south western corner of the interior are the remains of a gun emplacement. This consists of a sunken area c.0.5m deep with dimensions of 3.5m by 2.5m defined by low brick walls. This feature is likely to date from the Second World War. The hillfort's interior is defined by a single rampart which consists of a rubble-built bank 3m wide and 0.75m high running around the periphery of the monument. Traces of field lynchets or terraces on the lower north western slope of Conygar Hill are likely to be the result of medieval cultivation. Excluded from the scheduling are all fence posts relating to the field boundaries, although the underlying ground is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

22889

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Grinsell, L V, Proc Som Arch Nat Hist Soc in Somerset Barrows, Vol. 115, (1970), 34

Other
Interpretation of mound as a barrow,
Mention of hut circles within fort,
Iles interpretation of a pillow mound,
Possibility of the name Portbury Hill,
Mention of field lynchets,

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

Print the official list entry