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HER:  Shropshire 60 (None)
NMR:  SJ 40 NE 3 (67626)
SM:  1003016
NGR:  SJ 489087
X:  348947  Y:  308755  (OSGB36)
Isolated, multivallate, contour hillfort located at the E end of a low-lying knoll or spur overlooking the Severn plain and the confluence of the Severn and Rea Brook near Shrewsbury. Sub-rectangular, enclosing c. 2.1ha. Much affected by housing development up to the 1970's, when minor trenches dug as result of planning proposals (no report). As a result, the complex banks of the S/SW corner have either been destroyed or are situated within domestic curtilages. Apart from here, the fort is bivallate for most of the circuit, and on most of the N side the ramparts are still in place, though ploughed in part. The absence of a rampart at the N corner is probably due to quarrying, Quarrying has also affected the E side, and the outer bank here may not be entirely original, being a modern field bank following the original line. A series of trenches, as a result of development in the 1970's, showed a red clay subsoil and the rampart to be composed of yellow/grey sandy soil of possibly redeposited Boulder Clay with a concentration of largish stones stacked up almost vertically, but not faced; a possible but unproven revetment. An exposure on the E side was similar. Between these stacks were levels of charred, and possible horizontal, timbers suggesting a form of burnt timber-lacing or timber framing. The main entrance was probably on the W/SW and has been destroyed by development. There is another entrance at the E corner with an inturn on the S side. Although much mutilated, the site does show interesting features and a Section 17 agreement has put in place a scrub clearance programme. Undated. On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900).
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed
X:  -306853  Y:  6922934  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -2.756503696822003  Latitude:  52.67405814091826  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  England
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Shropshire
Historic County:  Shropshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Bayston Hill
Much affected by housing development up to the 1970' and as a result the complex banks of the S/SW corner have either been destroyed or are situated within domestic curtilages. Section 17 agreement has put in place a scrub clearance programme. On Heritage at Risk Register (2015).
Extant   | ✓ |
Cropmark   | ✗ |
Likely Destroyed   | ✓ |
Pasture, wood and scrub with housing encroachment.
Woodland   | ✓ |
Commercial Forestry Plantation   | ✗ |
Parkland   | ✗ |
Pasture (Grazing)   | ✓ |
Arable   | ✗ |
Scrub/Bracken   | ✓ |
Bare Outcrop   | ✗ |
Heather/Moorland   | ✗ |
Heath   | ✗ |
Built-up   | ✓ |
Coastal Grassland   | ✗ |
Other   | ✗ |
Located on a low-lying knoll overlooking the Severn plain and the confluence of the Severn and Rea Brook.
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:  Low-lying knoll.
North   | ✗ |
Northeast   | ✗ |
East   | ✗ |
Southeast   | ✗ |
South   | ✗ |
Southwest   | ✗ |
West   | ✗ |
Northwest   | ✗ |
Level   | ✓ |
Altitude:  88.0m
N/A
No dating.
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 (1885-1900). Field observation Ordnance Survey 1962. Watching Brief and excavation A. Tyler 1979 (no report). Field observation English Heritage 1980, 1981, 1982. Field observation Shropshire CC 1993. Air Photograph Interpretation RCHME: Marches Uplands NMP 1993-2000. Shropshire Council survey 2012.
Other (1962):   | Field observation OS. |
Other (1979):   | Watching Brief A. Tyler. |
Other (1993):   | Field observation Shropshire CC. |
Other (2012):   | Shropshire Council survey. |
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   | 1st Ed OS |
Excavation (None):   | Minor trenches only. |
Other (None):   | Field observation EH. |
Other (None):   | Air Photograph Interpretation RCHME: Marches Uplands NMP. |
Much affected by development and no interior evidence as result.
Stream located 0.1km outside the fort.
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   | ✗ |
Interior not excavated, but features can be expected.
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   | ✗ |
The main entrance was probably on the W/SW and has been destroyed by development. There is another entrance at the E corner with an inturn on the S side
1:   | None |
2:   | Main W/SW entrance obliterated by development |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
1. Simple Gap (West):   | The main entrance was probably on the W/SW and has been destroyed by development. Simple gap default. |
2. In-turned (East):   | Entrance at the E corner with an inturn on the S side |
Much affected by housing development up to the 1970' and as a result the complex banks of the S/SW corner have either been destroyed or are situated within domestic curtilages. Apart from here the fort is bivallate for most of the circuit and on most of the N side the defences are still in place, though ploughed in part. The absence of a rampart at the N corner is probably due to quarrying, Quarrying has also affected the E side, and the outer bank here may not be entirely original and is a field bank following the original line. A series of trenches as a result of development in the 1970's showed a red clay subsoil and the rampart to be composed of yellow/grey sandy soil of possibly redeposited Boulder Clay with a concentration of largish stones stacked up almost vertically, but not faced; a possible but unproven revetment. An exposure on the E side was similar. Between these stacks were levels of charred and possible horizontal timbers suggesting a form of burnt timber-lacing or timber framing.
Area 1:   | 2.1ha. |
Total:   | 2.1ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.
W/SW side part obliterated by development, but elsewher circuit mostly bivallate.
✗   | Housing development mitigates against a final area definition. |
✗   | W/SW side part obliterated by development. |
NE Quadrant:   | 2 |
SE Quadrant:   | 2 |
SW Quadrant:   | 0 |
NW Quadrant:   | 2 |
Total:   | 2 |
Partial Univallate   | ✗ |
Univallate   | ✗ |
Partial Bivallate   | ✓ |
Bivallate   | ✗ |
Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
Multivallate   | ✗ |
Unknown   | ✗ |
Partial Univallate   | ✗ |
Univallate   | ✗ |
Partial Bivallate   | ✗ |
Bivallate   | ✗ |
Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
Multivallate   | ✗ |
Form suggests an earthen bank.
None   | ✗ |
Earthen Bank   | ✓ |
Stone Wall   | ✗ |
Rubble   | ✗ |
Wall-walk   | ✗ |
Evidence of Timber   | ✗ |
Vitrification   | ✗ |
Other Burning   | ✗ |
Palisade   | ✗ |
Counter Scarp Bank   | ✗ |
Berm   | ✗ |
Unfinished   | ✗ |
Other   | ✗ |
A series of trenches as a result of development in the 1970's showed a red clay subsoil and the rampart to be composed of yellow/grey sandy soil of possibly redeposited Boulder Clay with a concentration of largish stones stacked up almost vertically, but not faced; a possible but unproven revetment. An exposure on the E side was similar. Between these stacks were levels of charred and possible horizontal timbers suggesting a form of burnt timber-lacing or timber framing.
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 |
✗   | None visible. |
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. Victoria County History of Shropshire, 1, 375, Institute of Historical Research.
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