Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0114 Castle Head, Westmorland (Atterpile Castle)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Cumbria No record found (None)

NMR:  SD 47 NW 1 (41514)

SM:  None

NGR:  SD 42120 79750

X:  342120  Y:  479750  (OSGB36)

Summary

Lying to the SE of Lindale village, an alleged hillfort on the summit of an isolated hill known as Castle Head. The interpretation of a hillfort or settlement was based on a large number of Iron Age, Roman and medieval finds recovered by the landowner in 1765. The site is naturally defended except in the N, and the summit of the hill is now surrounded by ornamental features including an enclosure with mock crenellations and raised paths and it is uncertain if earlier earthworks were destroyed during their construction.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Unconfirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Unconfirmed

Location

X:  -321599  Y:  7210069  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -2.8889763850719405  Latitude:  54.210211808849074  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Cumbria

Historic County:  Westmorland

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Grange-over -Sands

Monument Condition

It is uncertain if the hill was ever enclosed or if the defences have been destroyed.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

The site is currently on land owned by a field study centre and used for recreational purposes

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 purported inland promontory fort on a natural rocky outcrop at 16m OD

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:  Natural rocky outcrop

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  16.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

Iron Age (alleged) based on surface finds from 1765.

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:
Artefactual:   None

Investigation History

None

Investigations:No related records

Interior Features

No internal features are recorded other than a range of surface finds in 1765.

Water Source

To the W of the River Winster

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

An inventory of the finds was prepared in the 18th century which recorded Roman coins, rings of silver, "brass" (as recorded) and iron; beads of blue rag-stone, lead, clay and glass; a possible stone for mould casting rings; iron ore; human and animal remains; bone amulets; flints and pebbles; "brass" fibulae; possible slingstones; Northumbrian stycas

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 known

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
0:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:No related records

Enclosing Works

No evidence

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.9ha.
Total:   0.9ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   No known ramparts

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   None
SE Quadrant:   None
SW Quadrant:   None
NW Quadrant:   None
Total:   None

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

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:
✗   None known

Number of Ditches:  0

Annex:
✗   None

References

Hogg, A.H.A., 1979, British Hill-Forts. An Index. British Archaeological Reports, British Series 62.



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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