Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0371 Castle Hill Camp, Bow Wood, Worcestershire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

Scroll left/right to view further images.

HER:  Worcestershire MWR1280 (WSM02979)

NMR:  SO 95 NW 9 (118280)

SM:  1005354

NGR:  SO938554

X:  393885  Y:  255348  (OSGB36)

Summary

Univallate contour hillfort located on the high plateau of Castle Hill, with views over the Vale of Evesham and the Malverns. Entrance on W with possible annexe on NE. Long, wide E to W ditch through site suggests two phased construction. Ditched almost filled in for entire circuit. Old hedgeline, with post and wire fence partially follows the infilled ditch. Ploughed and ramparts very eroded, but still recognisable as earthwork.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -232758  Y:  6835697  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -2.0908963366733784  Latitude:  52.196297000265034  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Worcestershire

Historic County:  Worcestershire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Upton Snodsbury

Monument Condition

Ploughed, but still recognisable as an earthwork. Old hedgeline with post and wire fence partially follows the infilled ditch - possibly some removal.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Improved grassland and few oaks.

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 hillfort located on the prominent Castle Hill, with views over the Vale of Evesham and the Malverns.

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:  Prominent hill top of Castle Hill.

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  75.0m

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

Investigations by Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service c. 2009.

Investigations:
Other (2009):   Investigations by Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service.

Interior Features

None

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

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

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

W entrance, form undefined.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (West):   Form not defined. Simple gap default.

Enclosing Works

Banks very eroded, but recognisable.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   3.6ha.
Total:   3.6ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✓   Area defined from satellite image . Long, wide E to W ditch through site suggests two phased construction, but no direct evidence for this.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   Quadrants estimated, banks very eroded.

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:
✓   Surrounding outer ditch almost filled in for entire circuit. Long wide E-W ditch crosses enclosure.

Number of Ditches:  2

Annex:
✓   Possible annexe on the NE.

References

Bond, J. c. 1973. Worcestershire in prehistoric and Roman times, Worcestershire County Museum Publication No 6.

Hancox, E. and Russell, O. 2009: Recent changes to scheduled monuments in Worcestershire, Worcester: Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service.



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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