Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0036 Walterstone Camp, Herefordshire (Coed-y-Grafel)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Herefordshire MHE804 (1586)

NMR:  SO 32 NW 3 (105680)

SM:  1001755

NGR:  SO348250

X:  334889  Y:  225082  (OSGB36)

Summary

Prominent, roughly circular, triple-banked, contour hillfort located at confluence of the Rivers Honddu and Monnow and near the confluence of the River Dore and Monnow. Internal area c. 1.77ha. Possible external ditch in places. Outer and inner ramparts higher than middle. The inner rampart is strong and up to 3.2m above the ditch bottom, with a counterscarp to 2.6m above ground level. Part of outer bank removed in NE and outside the fort quarrying. There are two simple entrances to the SW and NE. Part of outer bank on NE destroyed by farmyard works. This area and N part of three ramparts in different ownership to rest where fencing affects site. Open woodland, garden and shrubs also on parts of fort. Access problems. Outside the fort quarrying. Undated. On 1st Ed OS map (1887).

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -328191  Y:  6785745  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -2.9481869820036057  Latitude:  51.92039800222291  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Herefordshire

Historic County:  Herefordshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Walterstone

Monument Condition

Part of outer bank on NE destroyed by farmyard works. This area and N part of three ramparts in different ownership to rest where fencing affects site. Affected by open woodland, garden and shrubs also on parts of fort. Access problems. Outside the fort quarrying.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Woodland, rough grass, farmyard and developments on site.

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

Site roughly follows the contours in a circle. Prominent site at the confluence of the Rivers Honddu and Monnow

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 spur.

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 (1887). Herefordshire Council survey 2012.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1887):   OS map.
Other (2012):   Herefordshire Council survey

Interior Features

None

Water Source

Stream 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

Two simple entrances, SW and NE, the latter probably modern.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
2:   NE probably modern.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   Original SW entrance aligned to Pen Twyn, Brilley.

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (South west):   Original SW entrance aligned to Pen Twyn, Brilley.

Enclosing Works

Triple ramparts, the outer and inner higher than middle. The inner rampart is strong and up to 3.2m above the ditch bottom, with a counterscarp to 2.6m above ground level.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   1.77ha.
Total:   1.77ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Circular nature of the site is unusual.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   Good circuit of ramparts.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   3
SE Quadrant:   3
SW Quadrant:   3
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

Counterscarp to 2.6m above ground level.

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:
✓   External ditch visible in places.

Number of Ditches:  3

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, 1, (SW), 248, 9, 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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