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HER:  Herefordshire MHE529 (1013)
NMR:  SO 24 NW 5 (104886)
SM:  1007311
NGR:  SO 228485
X:  322830  Y:  248550  (OSGB36)
Small, multivallate, contour hillfort located on isolated and prominent site overlooking the River Wye above Hay-on-Wye to the S and the River Arrow to the N, on the interfluve between the Rivers Wye and Severn catchments, thus commanding two valleys. Roughly oval in shape, with internal area c. 0.82ha. Defences are of no great strength. Double ramparts on the W, the inner bank weaker. To the S there are no ramparts in evidence, but a hedgeline possibly preserves their location. To the N and E, only a scarp to the inner enclosure remains, with no trace of a ditch. Defences much damaged, especially on S where absent and now a hedgeline, where possible entrance, but only conjecture. Thought to be little change since the 1980's and that the site is stable in condition. Part conifer plantation and pasture. Access problems hamper investigation. Undated. On 1st Ed OS map (1888).
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed
X:  -348296  Y:  6823631  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -3.1287995625744034  Latitude:  52.1298114591765  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  England
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Herefordshire
Historic County:  Herefordshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Brilley
Defences much damaged, especially on S where absent and now a hedge line. Thought to be little change since the 1980's and that the site is stable in condition.
Extant   | ✓ |
Cropmark   | ✗ |
Likely Destroyed   | ✗ |
Part conifer plantation and pasture. Access problems.
Woodland   | ✗ |
Commercial Forestry Plantation   | ✓ |
Parkland   | ✗ |
Pasture (Grazing)   | ✓ |
Arable   | ✗ |
Scrub/Bracken   | ✗ |
Bare Outcrop   | ✗ |
Heather/Moorland   | ✗ |
Heath   | ✗ |
Built-up   | ✗ |
Coastal Grassland   | ✗ |
Other   | ✗ |
Hill top site follows the contours. Isolated and prominent site overlooking the River Wye above Hay-on-Wye.
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:  Hill Top
North   | ✗ |
Northeast   | ✗ |
East   | ✗ |
Southeast   | ✗ |
South   | ✗ |
Southwest   | ✗ |
West   | ✗ |
Northwest   | ✗ |
Level   | ✓ |
Altitude:  328.0m
N/A
None
Reliability:  D - None
Pre 1200BC   | ✗ |
1200BC - 800BC   | ✗ |
800BC - 400BC   | ✗ |
400BC - AD50   | ✗ |
AD50 - AD400   | ✗ |
AD400 - AD 800   | ✗ |
Post AD800   | ✗ |
Unknown   | ✓ |
Pre Hillfort:   | None |
Post Hillfort:   | None |
On 1st Ed OS map (1888). Herefordshire Council survey 2012.
1st Identified Map Depiction (1888):   | OS map. |
Other (2012):   | Herefordshire Council survey. |
Little is known about the site because of access problems. Access denied for Herefordshire Council survey of 2012.
Streams located 0.6 km outside hillfort.
None   | ✓ |
Spring   | ✗ |
Stream   | ✗ |
Pool   | ✗ |
Flush   | ✗ |
Well   | ✗ |
Other   | ✗ |
None
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   | ✗ |
None
No Known Geophysics   | ✓ |
Pits   | ✗ |
Roundhouses   | ✗ |
Rectangular Structures   | ✗ |
Roads/Tracks   | ✗ |
Quarry Hollows   | ✗ |
Other   | ✗ |
Nothing Found   | ✗ |
None
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   | ✗ |
Entrances not visible on the present line, nor recorded. It is possible that there was an entrance on the S line where there is now a hedge, but this is only conjecture.
1:   | None |
2:   | Possible that there was an entrance on the S line where there is now a hedge, but this is only conjecture. |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
1. Simple Gap (South):   | Possible that there was an entrance on the S line where there is now a hedge, but this is only conjecture. |
Double ramparts on W, the inner bank weaker. To S there are no ramparts in evidence, but a hedgeline possibly preserves their location. No ditches.
Area 1:   | 0.82ha. |
Total:   | 0.82ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.
None
✗   | Problem of probably missing southern bank in regard to any area definition. 0.82ha probably an underestimate. |
✗   | The whole of the S line is missing and now a hedgeline. |
NE Quadrant:   | 1 |
SE Quadrant:   | 0 |
SW Quadrant:   | 2 |
NW Quadrant:   | 2 |
Total:   | 2 |
Partial Univallate   | ✓ |
Univallate   | ✗ |
Partial Bivallate   | ✓ |
Bivallate   | ✗ |
Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
Multivallate   | ✗ |
Unknown   | ✗ |
Partial Univallate   | ✗ |
Univallate   | ✗ |
Partial Bivallate   | ✗ |
Bivallate   | ✗ |
Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
Multivallate   | ✗ |
None determined as result of access problems.
None   | ✓ |
Earthen Bank   | ✗ |
Stone Wall   | ✗ |
Rubble   | ✗ |
Wall-walk   | ✗ |
Evidence of Timber   | ✗ |
Vitrification   | ✗ |
Other Burning   | ✗ |
Palisade   | ✗ |
Counter Scarp Bank   | ✗ |
Berm   | ✗ |
Unfinished   | ✗ |
Other   | ✗ |
None
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 |
✗   | No remains of ditches |
Number of Ditches:  0
✗   | None |
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.
Page, W. ed. 1908. The Victoria County History of the County of Herefordshire, 1, 203, London: St Catherine Press.
RCHME 1931-34. An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Herefordshire, 3 (NW), 25, 30, London: HMSO.
Atlas of Hillforts:
Wikidata:
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