Univallate hillfort on Great Wanney Crag

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 between 150 and 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 include square or rectangular buildings supported by four to six postholes and interpreted as raised granaries, timber or stone round houses, large storage pits and hearths as well as scattered postholes, stakeholes and gullies. 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 hillfort on Great Wanney Crag is very well preserved and retains significant archaeological deposits. The importance of this monument is enhanced by the survival of other forms of contemporary and later settlement in the area; it will contribute to any study of the wider settlement pattern at this time.

Details

The monument includes a hillfort of Iron Age date situated on the edge of the highest point of Great Wanney Crag. The hillfort is semi-circular in shape and is defended on three sides by an artificial rampart; the fourth side is defended by the steep precipitous slopes of Wanney Crag. The enclosure measures 97m north-east to south-west by 50m north-west to south-east within a single rampart of earth and stone 7m broad and 1.2m above the bottom of an outer ditch 3m wide. There is a funnel shaped entrance in the south-east side of the enclosure, carried across the ditch on a causeway.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

20997

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Jobey, G, Archaeologia Aeliana in Hill Forts and Settlements in Northumberland, (1965), 63

Other
1671,

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.