Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0362 The Mount, Beoley, Worcestershire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Worcestershire MWR22 (WSM00045)

NMR:  SP 06 NE 9 (328657)

SM:  1005309

NGR:  SP0655 6940

X:  406538  Y:  269421  (OSGB36)

Summary

Possible oval, univallate, hillfort, latterly 13th century strongpoint and/or manor house. On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900). Manor owned by Pershore Abbey at Domesday, later passed to the Beauchamps. Sited on a spur just below summit of hill in commanding position overlooking the River Arrow valley close to Roman Ryknield Street. S side best preserved as scarp with ditch and counterscarp bank. W and E sides have scarp and ditch. Possible entrance to the N. Site much cut into by later marl pit, especially on W. Little visible of medieval ruins and detailed plan of enclosure and the exact line of the earlier enclosure to be determined, but site scheduled. Some chance finds of black pottery and fragment of possible unglazed cinerary urn found in ditch side. General scrub and tree growth.,

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Unconfirmed

Location

X:  -212120  Y:  6858707  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -1.9055083551713157  Latitude:  52.32281726604748  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Worcestershire

Historic County:  Worcestershire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Beoley

Monument Condition

Much cut into by later marl pit. Medieval stronghold or manor house on site.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

General scrub and tree growth. Medieval stronghold or manor house on site (little visible).

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

Contour fort sited on a spur just below summit of hill in commanding position overlooking the River Arrow valley close to Roman Ryknield Street.

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:  The Mount hill.

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  137.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

Medieval stronghold or manor house on site. Date of finds not determined, but original enclosure probably 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:   None

Evidence:
Morphology/Earthwork/Typology:   Medieval stronghold or manor house on site.

Investigation History

Mention T. Nash 1781. On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900).

Investigations:
1st Identified Written Reference (1781):   T. Nash.
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   1st Ed OS

Interior Features

Some chance finds of black pottery and fragment of possible unglazed cinerary urn found in ditch side.

Water Source

Probable medieval water supply on site, its exact nature to be determined.

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

Some chance finds of black pottery and fragment of possible unglazed cinerary urn found in ditch side. Date undetermined.

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

Possible wide and unditched entrance, could be prehistoric or medieval. Possible other modern gaps.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   Possible other modern gaps.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (North):   Possible wide and unditched entrance.

Enclosing Works

S side best preserved as scarp with ditch and counterscarp bank. W and E sides have scarp and ditch.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.6ha.
Total:   0.6ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Estimated figure, likely to be greater if surveyed.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
SE Quadrant:   1
SW Quadrant:   1
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

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 visible around circuit.

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

Hancox, E. and Russell, O. 2009: Recent changes to Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Worcestershire, Worcester: Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service.

Nash, T. 1781. History of Worcestershire, Volume I, 68.

Page, W. and Willis-Bund, J.W. (eds) 1924. Victoria History of the Counties of England: a history of the County of Worcestershire, Vol IV, 452, London: St Catherine Press.



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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