Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0033 Uphampton Camp, Herefordshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Herefordshire 1238 (1238)

NMR:  SO 55 NE 3 (110631)

SM:  None

NGR:  SO 570 583

X:  357003  Y:  258305  (OSGB36)

Summary

Hillslope fort sited above the Humber Brook and River Lugg on a prominent E-W ridge and consisting of three scarp slopes, Uphampton has long had a query over its existence as a hillfort. Mentioned in Camden's Britannia (ed. Gough Vol 3), but with no real evidence of a 'camp'. However, now generally considered that there are possible earthworks of an Iron Age hillfort that has either been nearly ploughed-out or possibly unfinished; probably the former. Area not defined. As a result, low banks, averaging 3m in height, now only visible as terraces on the N slope of the hill, but no ditch is visible. No evidence on S side and, as result,suggested that the site is unfinished. Possible that relict banks have been used as field boundaries. Now virtually destroyed. Undated. On 1st Ed OS map (1886).

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Unconfirmed

Location

X:  -292865  Y:  6840226  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -2.6308538613769414  Latitude:  52.22123119717524  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Herefordshire

Historic County:  Herefordshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Docklow and Hampton Wafer

Monument Condition

The site is virtually destroyed.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Banks wooded, interior ploughed.

Current Use:
Woodland  
Commercial Forestry Plantation  
Parkland  
Pasture (Grazing)  
Arable  
Scrub/Bracken  
Bare Outcrop  
Heather/Moorland  
Heath  
Built-up  
Coastal Grassland  
Other  

Landscape

Hillfort Type

Hillslope fort sited on slopes above the Humber Brook and River Lugg on a prominent E-W ridge.

Type:
Contour Fort  
Partial Contour Fort  
Promontory Fort  
Hillslope Fort  
Level Terrain Fort  
Marsh Fort  
Multiple Enclosure Fort  

Topographic Position

Position:
Hilltop  
Coastal Promontory  
Inland Promontory  
Valley Bottom  
Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop  
Ridge  
Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp  
Hillslope  
Lowland  
Spur  

Dominant Topographic Feature:  Prominent E-Wridge

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  230.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

None

Reliability:  D - None

Principal Activity:
Pre 1200BC  
1200BC - 800BC  
800BC - 400BC  
400BC - AD50  
AD50 - AD400  
AD400 - AD 800  
Post AD800  
Unknown  

Other Activity:
Pre Hillfort:   None
Post Hillfort:   None

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

On 1st Ed OS map (1886). Herefordshire Council survey 2012

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1886):   OS map.
Other (2012):   Herefordshire Council survey.

Interior Features

None

Water Source

Humber Brook located 0.3 km outside hillfort.

Source:
None  
Spring  
Stream  
Pool  
Flush  
Well  
Other  

Surface

None

Interior Features (Surface):
No Known Features  
Round Stone Structures  
Rectangular Stone Structures  
Curvilinear Platforms  
Other Roundhouse Evidence  
Pits  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  

Excavation

None

Interior Features (Excavation):
No Known Excavation  
Pits  
Postholes  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Roads/Tracks  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  
Nothing Found  

Geophysics

None

Interior Features (Geophysics):
No Known Geophysics  
Pits  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Roads/Tracks  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  
Nothing Found  

Finds

None

Interior (Finds):
No Known Finds  
Pottery  
Metal  
Metalworking  
Human Bones  
Animal Bones  
Lithics  
Environmental  
Other  

Aerial

None

Interior Features (Aerial):
APs Not Checked  
None  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Pits  
Postholes  
Roads/Tracks  
Other  

Entrances

No entrances recorded.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
0:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:No related records

Enclosing Works

Low banks, averaging 3m in height, are now only visible as terraces on the N slope of the hill, but no ditch is visible. There is no evidence on the S side and it has been suggested that the site is unfinished.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   Noneha.
Total:   Noneha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Near destruction of site results in problem of area definition.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   Banks only visible to the north, nothing visible on S side.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   3
SE Quadrant:   0
SW Quadrant:   0
NW Quadrant:   3
Total:   3

Morphology

Current Morphology:
Partial Univallate  
Univallate  
Partial Bivallate  
Bivallate  
Partial Multivallate  
Multivallate  
Unknown  

Detailed Morphology:
Partial Univallate  
Univallate  
Partial Bivallate  
Bivallate  
Partial Multivallate  
Multivallate  

Surface Evidence

Earthen bank suggested only. There is no evidence on the S side and it has been suggested that the site is unfinished.

Enclosing Works (Surface):
None  
Earthen Bank  
Stone Wall  
Rubble  
Wall-walk  
Evidence of Timber  
Vitrification  
Other Burning  
Palisade  
Counter Scarp Bank  
Berm  
Unfinished  
Other  

Excavated Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Excavation):
None  
Earthen Bank  
Stone Wall  
Murus Duplex  
Timber-framed  
Timber-laced  
Vitrification  
Other Burning  
Palisade  
Counter Scarp Bank  
Berm  
Unfinished  
No Known Excavation  
Other  

Other

Gang Working:
✗   None

Ditches:
✗   No ditches visible

Number of Ditches:  0

Annex:
✗   None

References

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, 3, 44, London: HMSO.



Terms of Use

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


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