Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0070 Knowle, Shropshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Shropshire 20911 (None)

NMR:  None (None)

SM:  None

NGR:  SO 598738

X:  359862  Y:  273883  (OSGB36)

Summary

Possible, partial contour hillfort, only found in 2002, located on a slight rise or knoll above Corn Brook, a stream tributary of the River Teme, and to the S of Clee Hill. Situated in a field immediately W of the playing field at Knowle village. Area not defined.Earthwork remains of a substantial bank and ditch with possible counterscarp on the N, S and W sides. To the N the degraded bank appears on the line of a hedgerow. To the E nothing is visible and it has been suggested that this could either indicate that the site was unfinished or that the E ramparts were removed by post-medieval common edge settlement present on the site. A modern pond has been dug though the line of the possible ditch to the NE part of the site. The site of an entrance has not been determined and there has been no excavation. Affected by domestic properties and playing field, but down to permanent pasture. Generally, surviving sections of bank are stable with no erosion. Undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Unconfirmed

Location

X:  -288414  Y:  6865754  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -2.5908646306656395  Latitude:  52.36149298999054  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Shropshire

Historic County:  Shropshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Hope Bagot

Monument Condition

Pasture and surviving ramparts generally stable, but E line missing. Affected by development.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Affected by domestic properties and playing field, but down to permanent pasture.

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

Possible, partial contour site located on a slight rise or knoll above Corn Brook, a stream tributary of the River Teme, and to the S of Clee Hill.

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:  Slight rise or knoll.

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  260.0m

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:   Possible. To the E nothing is visible and it has been suggested that this could either indicate that the site was unfinished or that the E ramparts were removed by post-medieval common edge settlement present on the site.

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

Shropshire Council survey 2012.

Investigations:
Other (2012):   Shropshire Council survey.

Interior Features

None

Water Source

None

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 defined.

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

Earthwork remains of a substantial bank and ditch with possible counterscarp on the N, S and W sides. To the N the degraded bank appears on the line of a hedgerow. To E nothing is visible and it has been suggested that this could either indicate that the site was unfinished or that the E ramparts were removed by post-medieval common edge settlement present on the site. A modern pond has been dug though the line of the possible ditch to the NE part of the site.

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

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

E side ramparts misising.

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   To be defined.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   0
SE Quadrant:   0
SW Quadrant:   1
NW Quadrant:   1
Total:   1

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 where survives. It is possible that the site was unfinished. Possible counterscarp on the N, S and W sides.

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:
✓   A modern pond has been dug though the line of the possible ditch to the NE part of the site.

Number of Ditches:  1

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.



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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