Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0103 Allen Knott, Westmorland

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Lake District National Park 1094 (20443)

NMR:  NY 40 SW 5 (10944)

SM:  1008262

NGR:  NY 41445 01054

X:  341445  Y:  501054  (OSGB36)

Summary

In a strong defensive position on the summit of Allen Knott. A slight univallate hillfort estimated to once cover an area of between 0.8-1.6ha but now destroyed through quarrying in the E and agriculture in the S. It retains a well-defined ditchless earth and stone rampart with stone-revetted bank in the N and W which excavation showed to be 2.4m wide and up to four courses high (Lowndes 1964). No evidence for an entrance or visible surface features have been recorded and the site is undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -323217  Y:  7246580  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -2.9035079660958054  Latitude:  54.401578393798694  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Cumbria

Historic County:  Westmorland

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Windermere

Monument Condition

Modern quarrying and agriculture have destroyed the southern and eastern extents of the site.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Appears from satellite imagery to be unimproved grazing. Land owned by the National Trust, No. 20443

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

A contour fort situated in a strong defensive position at 220m OD on the summit of Allen Knott. From the summit, Lake Windermere, the peaks of Gummers How and Orrest Head, the Langdale Pikes, Crinkle Crags, the Old Man of Coniston and the hills surrounding the Kirkstone Pass are visible.

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:  On the summit of Allen Knott

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  220.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

Undated, presumed Iron Age

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:   Quarrying

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

General reference in Collingwood (1913). Limited excavation across the ramparts (Lowndes 1964). Field investigation in 1966 and 1975. Scheduled

Investigations:
1st Identified Written Reference (1913):   None
Excavation (1963):   Lowndes (1964)
Other (1966):   Field investigation
Other (1975):   Scheduled
Other (1975):   Field investigation

Interior Features

No known features

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

Ramparts only

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

None

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
None:   None within surviving ramparts

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:No related records

Enclosing Works

Comprises a ditchless, stone revetted bank with rounded corners. Once covering an area of between 0.8-1.6ha it is now destroyed through quarrying in the E and agriculture in the S. Excavation found the bank to be constructed with an earth and rubble core retained on one side by a drystone wall which survived up to four courses high and 2.4m wide.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.8ha.
Total:   0.8ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

Comprises a ditchless, stone revetted bank. Excavation found the bank to be constructed with an earth and rubble core retained on one side by a drystone wall which survived up to four courses high and 2.4m wide.

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Area estimated

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   Now destroyed in east and south

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
SE Quadrant:   None
SW Quadrant:   None
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

None

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

Earth and rubble core with dry stone revetted box rampart on one side up Now partially destroyed

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

Number of Ditches:  None

Annex:
✗   None

References

Collingwood, R.G.C. 1913. The Earthworks on Allan Knott. Trans Cumberland Westmorland Antiq Archaeol Soc, 143-6

Lowndes,R.A.C. 1964. Allen Knott Earthwork Trans Cumberland Westmorland Antiq Archaeol Soc New Ser. - Volume: LVIV - 94-7



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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