LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Herefordshire MHE410 (907)
NMR: SO 43 NE 14 (107794)
SM: 1001756
NGR: SO 454393
X: 345400 Y: 239300 (OSGB36)
Large and unusually sited, triangular, inland promontory fort located directly adjacent to the River Wye and opposite to Credenhill hillfort (Atlas No 0011). Steep natural slope only on the N and SE, and on the W a rampart, but denuded to the N. Internal area c. 7ha. Rampart massive and bivallate at approach and outer bank part-gone. Original entrance probably at the NW apex, but there are modern gaps. Small investigation in 1980's and 2012 trial excavations (Dorling 2012), topographical survey and geophysics. Thought 6th century BC for rampart. Tertiary deposits in ditch contained stamped Malvernian Ware of middle Iron Age date and later Droitwich briquetage. Fragments of crucible indicate metal working. Bone and part of shale object and flint also found. Colluvial material overlies good Iron Age deposits. Lidar has shown that relict ridge and furrow covers most of the interior. Site badly affected by agriculture and development, the latter especially on the W and S. Mostly under pasture. Scrub and wood on N and S slopes. On 1st Ed. OS map (1887).
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -311431 Y: 6809054 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -2.7976337457233402 Latitude: 52.049350111899614 (EPSG:4326)
Country: England; None
Current County or Unitary Authority: Herefordshire
Historic County: Herefordshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Eaton Bishop; Clehonger; Breinton
Badly affected by agriculture and development, the latter especially on the W and S.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Mostly under pasture. Scrub and wood on N and S slopes.
| Woodland | ✓ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✓ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Unusual inland promontory hillfort located directly adjacent to the River Wye at stream confluence.
| Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Partial Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Promontory Fort | ✓ |
| Hillslope Fort | ✗ |
| Level Terrain Fort | ✗ |
| Marsh Fort | ✗ |
| Multiple Enclosure Fort | ✗ |
| Hilltop | ✗ |
| Coastal Promontory | ✗ |
| Inland Promontory | ✓ |
| Valley Bottom | ✓ |
| Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop | ✓ |
| Ridge | ✗ |
| Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp | ✗ |
| Hillslope | ✗ |
| Lowland | ✗ |
| Spur | ✗ |
Dominant Topographic Feature: River terrace.
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✓ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 80.0m
Boundary Type: Parish/Townland
Rampart c. 6th century BC. Tertiary deposits in ditch contained stamped Malvernian ware of middle Iron Age. Droitwich briquetage, crucible fragment, bone and part of shale object, flint. C14 dates (no details)
Reliability: B - Medium
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✓ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✓ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
| Artefactual: | Pottery and VCP of middle Iron Age and late Iron Age date. |
| C14: | None |
In Aubrey's Monumenta Britannica (1665-1693). On 1st Ed. OS map (1887). Small investigation as result of small development outside the NW corner, LiDAR (2011) and topographical survey, geophysics and trial excavation 2012. Herefordshire Council survey 2012.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1887): | OS map |
| LiDAR Survey (2011): | LiDar survey found ridge and furrow in interior. |
| Other (2012): | Herefordshire Council survey. |
| 1st Identified Written Reference (None): | Aubrey's Monumenta Britannica. |
| Excavation (None): | Small excavation with topographical survey and geophysics 2012.. |
No known excavation in the interior. Fragments of burnt bone, charcoal found (1985) and quantity of midlle Iron Age stamped Malvernian ware found in ditch, Droitwich VCP, fragments of a crucible, bone, flint and part of a shale object (2012).
River Wye/stream located 0.01 km outside the fort.
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Survey underway.
| No Known Features | ✓ |
| Round Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Curvilinear Platforms | ✗ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| No Known Excavation | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
Two ditches found.
| No Known Geophysics | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
Fragments of burnt bone, charcoal found (1985) and quantity of middle Iron Age stamped Malvernian ware found in ditch, Droitwich VCP, fragments of a crucible, bone, flint and part of a shale object (2012).
| No Known Finds | ✗ |
| Pottery | ✓ |
| Metal | ✗ |
| Metalworking | ✓ |
| Human Bones | ✗ |
| Animal Bones | ✓ |
| Lithics | ✓ |
| Environmental | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| APs Not Checked | ✓ |
| None | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
The total number of breaks in the rampart is indeterminate at present, but ongoing survey should rectify this. However, the gap located at the NW apex probably original.
| 3: | Indeterminate number modern gaps; possibly two. |
| 2: | Possible original entrance at NW apex. |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North west): | Detail to be determined from excavation. However, the gap located at the NW apex probably original. |
Steep natural slope only defence on the N and SE sides, and on the W defended by a rampart, but denuded to the N. Inner rampart found to be simple dump of clay, stone and river boulders. Two ditches found by geophysics examined.
| Area 1: | 7.0ha. |
| Total: | 7.0ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | The site has been extensively damaged through agriculture and development, which makes interpretation difficult on the west and south sides especially. |
| ✗ | The ramparts do not form a complete circuit because of development; prior to this they would have done so. |
| NE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SW Quadrant: | 1 |
| NW Quadrant: | 2 |
| Total: | 2 |
| Partial Univallate | ✓ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✓ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
Evidence of the ramparts and ditches determined by excavation.
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Rubble | ✗ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Inner rampart found to be simple dump of clay, stone and river boulders. Two ditches found by geophysics examined.
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✓ |
| Murus Duplex | ✗ |
| Timber-framed | ✗ |
| Timber-laced | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| No Known Excavation | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | Two ditches found by geophysics. |
Number of Ditches: 2
| ✗ | None |
Atkinson, C. 2011. Eaton Camp, Ruckhall, Eaton Bishop CP, Stage 1: Field Investigation and LiDAR. Herefordshire Archaeology Report 296.
Dorling, P. 2012: Eaton Camp, Ruckhall, Eaton Bishop, Herefordshire. A summary report on excavations in May 2012. Hereford: Herefordshire Archaeology Report 313.
Dorling, P. and Wigley, A. 2012: Assessment of the archaeological and conservation status of major later prehistoric enclosures in Herefordshire and Shropshire, EH PNUM, Version 3.2, Hereford and Shrewsbury: Herefordshire Council/Shropshire Council.
RCHME 1931-34. An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Herefordshire, 1, 61-2, London: HMSO.
Atlas of Hillforts:
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This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
and should be cited as:
Lock, Gary and Ralston, Ian. 2024. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. Available at: https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk
Document Version 1.1