Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0085 The Burgs, Shropshire (The Buries; Bayston Hill)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Shropshire 60 (None)

NMR:  SJ 40 NE 3 (67626)

SM:  1003016

NGR:  SJ 489087

X:  348947  Y:  308755  (OSGB36)

Summary

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).

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

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

Monument Condition

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).

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Pasture, wood and scrub with housing encroachment.

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

Located on a low-lying knoll overlooking the Severn plain and the confluence of the Severn and Rea Brook.

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:  Low-lying knoll.

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  88.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

No dating.

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). 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.

Investigations:
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.

Interior Features

Much affected by development and no interior evidence as result.

Water Source

Stream located 0.1km 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

Interior not excavated, but features can be expected.

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

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

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   Main W/SW entrance obliterated by development

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
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

Enclosing Works

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.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   2.1ha.
Total:   2.1ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

W/SW side part obliterated by development, but elsewher circuit mostly bivallate.

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Housing development mitigates against a final area definition.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   W/SW side part obliterated by development.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   2
SE Quadrant:   2
SW Quadrant:   0
NW Quadrant:   2
Total:   2

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

Form suggests an earthen bank.

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

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.

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:
✗   None 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.

Page, W. ed. 1908. Victoria County History of Shropshire, 1, 375, 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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