Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0093 Walton Camp, Shropshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Shropshire 1361 (None)

NMR:  SJ 30 NW 2 (66348)

SM:  1021277

NGR:  SJ 300057

X:  330055  Y:  305729  (OSGB36)

Summary

Isolated, bivallate, partial contour fort sited at the S end of a knoll/spur overlooking the valley of the Rea Brook to the S and SW and Rowley Brook and uplands beyond. Commanding site only overlooked from a distance. The site is egg-shaped with the apex to the N. measuring 95 m by 65 m, enclosing 0.44ha. Two lines of bank and ditch have a counterscarp bank on the W and NW sides. In the SE sector the rampart is spread and reduced to only a scarp. There is an inturned entrance on the E with a pronounced holloway leading S 90m long and 8m in width and 1m deep to the E, and turns W before petering out, but could have continued for another 70m to the SW. A geophysical survey of 1999, although being generally inconclusive, found remnants of the inner bank in several places in the interior. No surface features are visible in the interior. The site is under long-standing pasture with some local stock erosion. Ridge and furrow in the interior. The site was only scheduled in 2004. On 1st Ed OS map (1899). Undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -337880  Y:  6917554  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.035224386064255  Latitude:  52.64474693094868  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Shropshire

Historic County:  Shropshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Worthen with Shelve

Monument Condition

Stock erosion on inner W rampart and open scrub on ramparts.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Long managed under unimproved 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

Interior slopes from N to S. Sited on a the S end of an isolated knoll/ spur overlooking the valley of the Rea Brook to S and SW and Rowley Brook and uplands beyond..

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:  Isolated knoll/spur.

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  229.0m

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 (1899). Field observation Ordnance Survey 1971. Field observation Shropshire CC 1981. Geophysical survey University of Sheffield 1999. Shropshire Council survey 2012.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1899):   None
Other (1971):   Field observation OS.
Other (1981):   Field observation Shropshire CC.
Geophysical Survey (1999):   University of Sheffield.
Other (2012):   Shropshire Council survey.

Interior Features

A geophysical survey of 1999, although being generally inconclusive, found remnants of the inner bank in several places in the interior.

Water Source

Stream located 0.15km 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

A geophysical survey of 1999, although being generally inconclusive, found remnants of the inner bank in several places in the interior.

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

There is an inturned entrance on the E with a pronounced holloway leading S 90 m long and 8 m in width and 1.5 m deep to the E, and turns W before petering out, but could have continued for another 70 m to the SW.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   No modern gaps.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   Inturned entrance on the E original.

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
1. In-turned (East):   There is an inturned entrance on the E with a pronounced holloway leading S 90m long and 8m in width and 1.5 m deep to the E, and turns W before petering out, but could have continued for another 70m to the SW.
1. Hollow Way (East):   Pronounced hollow way.

Enclosing Works

Two lines of bank and ditch have a counterscarp bank on the W and NW sides. In the SE sector the rampart is spread and reduced to only a scarp. Geophysical survey of 1999, although being generally inconclusive, found remnants of the inner bank in several places in the interior.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.44ha.
Total:   0.44ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   Good circuit of two ramparts plus counterscarp bank to W and NW.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   2
SE Quadrant:   2
SW Quadrant:   2
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

Counterscarp bank to the W and NW.

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:
✓   Ditches surround the site.

Number of Ditches:  2

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, 370, 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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