Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0079 Radnor Wood, Shropshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Shropshire 150 (None)

NMR:  SO 38 SW 13 (107315)

SM:  1004786

NGR:  SO 320817

X:  332029  Y:  281757  (OSGB36)

Summary

Small, steep and wooded, contour hillfort located above the River Clun opposite to Bury Ditches (Atlas No 0047) in an area of prominent hillforts. Slopes are steep on the N and S, gradual on the E and W. Internal area 0.25ha. The site is thought to have been probably unfinished because of the lack of ramparts visible on the E side. Elsewhere on the other three sides of the triangular shaped site, is a bank and ditch with intermittent counterscarp bank to 1.5m external height. The main bank is c. 12m wide and 3.1m to the base of an outer ditch, 6m wide. The E termination of both N and S banks is ragged and the ditches become progressively shallower. No entrance is visible, but the banks are in general good condition, although a 5m gap has been cut through the W rampart since 1908 and a track passes E to W across the site. Now part clear, the fort was formerly afforested. Undated. On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900).

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -334085  Y:  6878164  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.0011402326697203  Latitude:  52.42952165219125  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Shropshire

Historic County:  Shropshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Clunbury

Monument Condition

Formerly an ancient woodland site, planted with conifers in 20th century, but vegetation clearance in 2010 as part of a butterfly conservation project has now exposed the hillfort. Some saplings and mature conifers remain.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Upland pasture with some saplings and mature conifers.

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 appears to follow the contours. Small steep wooded site above the River Clun.

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:  E to W ridge.

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  320.0m

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 (1885-1900). Air Photograph Interpretation RCHME: Marches Uplands NMP 1993-2000. Shropshire Council survey 2012.

Investigations:
Other (2012):   Shropshire Council survey.
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   1st Ed OS
Other (None):   Air Photograph Interpretation RCHME: Marches Uplands NMP.

Interior Features

None

Water Source

Stream located 0.4km outside the fort.

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

A 5m gap has been cut through the W rampart since 1908 and a track passes E to W across the site. No original entrance is visible.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   A 5m gap has been cut through the W rampart since 1908 and a track passes E to W across the site.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   No original entrance is visible.

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:No related records

Enclosing Works

The site is thought to have been probably unfinished because of the lack of ramparts visible on the E side. Elsewhere on the other three sides of the triangular shaped site, is a bank with stone, and ditch with intermittent counterscarp bank to 1.5m external height. The main bank is c. 12m wide and 3.1m to the base of an outer ditch, 6m wide. The E termination of both N and S banks is ragged and the ditches become progressively shallower.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.25ha.
Total:   0.25ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

No E rampart is visible.

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   No E rampart visible.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   0
SE Quadrant:   1
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

A possible stone rampart is unconfirmed. Intermittent counterscarp bank to 1.5m external height. The site is thought to have been probably unfinished because of the lack of ramparts visible on the E side.

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:
✓   Outer ditch to bank is c. 6m wide.

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.

Page, W. ed. 1908. Victoria County History of Shropshire, 1, 372-73, Institute of Historical Research.



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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