Scratchbury Hill Monuments: Iron age hillfort, round barrows and enclosures

Reasons for Designation

The most complete and extensive survival of chalk downland archaeological remains in central southern England occurs on Salisbury Plain, particularly in those areas lying within the Salisbury Plain Training Area. These remains represent one of the few extant archaeological "landscapes" in Britain and are considered to be of special significance because they differ in character from those in other areas with comparable levels of preservation. Individual sites on Salisbury Plain are seen as being additionally important because the evidence of their direct association with each other survives so well.

Seven hillforts are recorded in the Salisbury Plain Training Area. Hillforts represent a major settlement form for the Iron Age and, unless severely damaged, are considered worthy of protection. Importantly, all of these are associated with contemporary archaeological features such as field systems and land boundaries. The significance of the Scratchbury hillfort is considerably enhanced by the inclusion of a series of enclosures and prehistoric funerary monuments, each considered to be nationally important in their own right, within the monument.

Details

An Iron age hillfort the interior of which contains traces of two enclosures, one producing Iron age pottery. Six bowl barrows are within the interior of the hillfort. 1 - A hillfort c.22.25h in area, with three, probably original entrances. Circular hut platforms are visible inside the western entrance. Partial excavation of the ramparts took place c.1959. 2 - A small ditched bowl barrow inside Scratchbury hillfort. Partial excavation took place in the 19th century. (ST91144398) 3 - A small ditched bowl barrow with some suggestion of an outer bank, inside Scratchbury hillfort. Partial excavation took place in the 19th century. (ST91094403) 4 - A ditched bowl barrow inside Scratchbury hillfort. This barrow is in very good condition. Partial excavation took place in the 19th century. (ST91024410) 5 - A bowl barrow with vague traces of a ditch, inside Scratchbury hillfort. Partial excavation took place in the 19th century. (ST91394439) 6 - A bowl barrow inside Scratchbury hillfort. The mound is 19m in diameter and there are slight traces of a ditch c.2.5m wide. Partial excavation in the 19th century revealed a primary cremation and bone objects. (ST91394436) 7 - A ditched bowl barrow inside Scratchbury hillfort. This barrow has been recorded as a saucer barrow. Partial excavation in the 19th century revealed a primary cremation and amber objects. (ST91144425) 8 - A rectangular enclosure in the south-west corner of Scratchbury hillfort. It possibly overlies field banks associated with a "D" shaped enclosure. 9 - A "D" shaped enclosure with associated fields and trackways within Scratchbury hillfort. Partial excavation c.1959 produced Iron Age pottery. (ST912442)

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:

10213

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Wiltshire Library & Museum Service, (1987)
Trust for Wessex Archaeology, (1987)

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