Enclosed Iron Age farmstead on Wilderley Hill, 470m north west of Sallins Cottage

Reasons for Designation

The size and form of Iron Age enclosed settlements vary considerably from single farmsteads up to large semi-urban oppida. Farmsteads are generally represented by curvilinear enclosures containing evidence of a small group of circular domestic buildings and associated agricultural structures. Where excavated, these sites are also found to contain storage pits for grain and other produce, evidence of an organised and efficient farming system. The surrounding enclosures would have provided protection against cattle rustling and tribal raiding. In central southern England, most enclosed Iron Age farmsteads are situated in areas which are now under intensive arable cultivation. As a result, although some examples survive with upstanding earthworks, the majority have been recorded as crop- and soil-marks appearing on aerial photographs.

The enclosed Iron Age farmstead on Wilderley Hill survives well and is a good example of the class. The perimeter banks will contain important archaeological information concerning their date and method of construction. The largely undisturbed interior will contain archaeological evidence relating to the use of the enclosure. Environmental evidence, relating to the economy of the builders and to the character of the landscape in which the site was constructed will be preserved, sealed on the old land surface beneath the bank and in the ditch fill.

Details

The monument includes the remains of a small Iron Age enclosed farmstead situated on the gentle south east facing slope of Wilderley Hill. The farmstead enclosure is well defined, roughly circular in plan, with an overall external diameter of 60m and an interior area c.42m in diameter. The visible earthworks include a substantial perimeter bank averaging 5m wide and 1.1m high with an external ditch 3.3m wide and 0.8m deep. Traces of an external counterscarp bank can be recognised around the south western quarter of the monument, standing up to 0.2m high. The main bank and ditch is continuous around the uphill side of the enclosure, providing shelter from the rising ground to the north west and some protection from water draining off the hillslope. The bank and ditch are interrupted in the south eastern, downslope quarter, where no trace of either can be recognised. This may represent the position of the original entrance to the enclosure. The interior of the enclosure follows the natural slope of the land over most of its area, however, slight evidence of levelling in the south west and north west quadrants, may represent the sites of original buildings. All fencing which lies within the area of the monument is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath 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:

19157

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Record card 00216, Burrow, I,

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