Hilltop enclosure 100m north east of Castle Farm

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.

Despite limited damage as a result of small scale quarrying, the hilltop enclosure 100m north east of Castle Farm survives well and contains archaeological and environmental information relating to the monument, its location and the landscape in which it functioned. It has been suggested that this earthwork represents the site of the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Hlidan.

Details

This monument includes a hilltop enclosure located on a high ridge above the confluence of the Rivers Wolf, Thrushel and Lyd. It commands a high and prominent location with wide local views. The monument survives as an oval enclosure marked by a rampart. It is aligned from north east to south west and its interior measures 86.6m long by 48.2m wide. The rampart measures from 5.9m up to 12m wide and is a maximum of 1.9m high. The outer ditch surrounding the rampart is evident on the eastern side where it is 6.8m wide and up to 0.3m deep; elsewhere it survives as a buried feature. A field boundary bisects the site from north to south and there is a height difference in the land surface of up to 1.8m. A further field boundary curves around the site to the north and overlies the outer ditch, fossilising the shape of the enclosure and incorporating the rampart into the field boundary on the north eastern quadrant. A series of three stone quarries of varying size have also cut into the surface of the enclosure; two lie on the eastern half and the third on the north western edge. The field boundary which crosses 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. 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:

30330

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Hill, D., Lifton, Devon : Excavation and Study Weeks etc., 1997, Unpublished
MPP fieldwork by H. Gerrard, Gerrard, H., (1997)

End of official list entry

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