LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Wiltshire and Swindon MWI86680 (None)
NMR: SU 06 SW 11 (216145)
SM: 1005709
NGR: SU00106468
X: 400102 Y: 164681 (OSGB36)
Remains of roughly triangular level terrain hillfort sited in prominent position on E-W spur of the downland edge of Roundway Down overlooking the Vale of Pewsey in archaeologically rich area. Defences consist of single line of bank and outer ditch cutting across the spur and which follow the natural contours on N and S, enclosing 1.3ha. Very steep natural slopes on N, W and S sides. Substantial berm or terrace below interior crest to N, S, W filled in ditch, now used as trackway. At SW tip outside enclosure are two round barrows, possibly within interior at some stage. Excavations by B.H. and M.E. Cunnington 1907 comprised sections through rampart, examination of the single E entrance (probably gated) and trenching of interior. Pottery of Bronze Age, Iron Age and Romano-British date found, suggesting pre-hillfort Bronze Age activity (including 'hearths'), early Iron Age date for site construction and some Roman activity. Little evidence for intensive occupation and site sometimes called an 'empty hillfort', confirmed by geophysics (Payne et al 2006). Although small and slight, the fort, situated as it is on downland edge, well suited to 'control' resources of Vale of Pewsey below as well as those of downland above. Under downland grass. Geophysics shows possible WWII structures in interior. On Ist Ed. OS map (1887).
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -222632 Y: 6688989 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -1.9999397366400127 Latitude: 51.38112641021304 (EPSG:4326)
Country: England
Current County or Unitary Authority: Wiltshire
Historic County: Wiltshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Bromham
Site in good condition.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Downland pasture.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Roughly triangular level terrain hillfort sited in prominent position on E-W spur of the downland edge of Roundway Down overlooking the Vale of Pewsey in archaeologically rich area.
| Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Partial Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Promontory Fort | ✗ |
| Hillslope Fort | ✗ |
| Level Terrain Fort | ✓ |
| Marsh Fort | ✗ |
| Multiple Enclosure Fort | ✗ |
Sited in a prominent postion on spur of the downland edge overlooking the Vale of Pewsey in archaeologically rich area.
| Hilltop | ✗ |
| Coastal Promontory | ✗ |
| Inland Promontory | ✓ |
| Valley Bottom | ✗ |
| Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop | ✗ |
| Ridge | ✗ |
| Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp | ✗ |
| Hillslope | ✗ |
| Lowland | ✗ |
| Spur | ✓ |
Dominant Topographic Feature: Prominent site above Vale of Pewsey.
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 190.0m
N/A
Pottery of Bronze Age, Iron Age and Romano-British date found from excavation, suggesting pre-hillfort Bronze Age activity (including 'hearths'), early Iron Age date for site construction and some Roman use of site. Geophysics shows possible WWII structures.
Reliability: B - Medium
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✓ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✓ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✓ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
| Artefactual: | Pottery of Bronze Age, Iron Age and Romano-British date found |
| Other: | Bronze age 'hearth's. |
On Ist Ed. OS map (1887). In Gibson's Camden's Brittania 1695. Excavated 1907 by B.H. and M.E. Cunnington. Geophysical survey as part of Wessex Hillforts Project 1996 (Payne et al 2006). RCAHME field survey as part of Avebury World Heritage Site Project 1997-2000.
| 1st Identified Written Reference (1695): | Gibson's Camden's Brittania. |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1887): | OS map. |
| Excavation (1907): | B.H. and M.E. Cunnington. |
| Geophysical Survey (1996): | Wessex Hillforts Project. |
| Other (None): | RCAHME measured survey. |
Two Bronze Age 'hearths' found by Cunningtons 1907. Late Bronze Age, Iron Age and Romano-British wares. Pieces of bronze and iron. Geophysics of interior showed nothing prehistoric.
Dew pond in interior. Mother Anthony's Well sited downslope at foot of hill.
| None | ✗ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✓ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| No Known Features | ✓ |
| Round Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Curvilinear Platforms | ✗ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Two Bronze Age 'hearths'.
| No Known Excavation | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
No substantial evidence of interior activity found.
| No Known Geophysics | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
Late Bronze Age, Iron Age and Romano-British wares. Pieces of bronze and iron.
| No Known Finds | ✗ |
| Pottery | ✓ |
| Metal | ✓ |
| Metalworking | ✗ |
| Human Bones | ✗ |
| Animal Bones | ✗ |
| Lithics | ✗ |
| Environmental | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| APs Not Checked | ✓ |
| None | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Original entrance near centre of the E. side, according to Cunnington (1907) probably gated.
| 1: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (East): | None |
Defences consist of single line of bank and outer ditch cutting across the spur and which follow the natural contours on N and S. Very steep natural slopes on N, W and S sides. Substantial berm or terrace below interior crest to N, S, W adding to monumentality of earthwork from below.
| Area 1: | 1.3ha. |
| Total: | 1.3ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SW Quadrant: | 1 |
| NW Quadrant: | 1 |
| Total: | 1 |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✓ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
None
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Rubble | ✗ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✓ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Three Bronze Age 'hearth' sites found beneath rampart.
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Murus Duplex | ✗ |
| Timber-framed | ✗ |
| Timber-laced | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✓ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| No Known Excavation | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | Substantial berm or terrace below interior crest to N, S, W filled in ditch, now used as trackway. |
Number of Ditches: 1
| ✗ | None |
Brown, G., Field, D. and McOmish, D. 2005. The Avebury landscape. Aspects of the field archaeology of the Marlborough Downs. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
Cunnington, M.E.1908. Oliver's Camp, Devises, Wiltshire Archaeol Natur Hist Mag, 35, 408-44.
Payne, A., Corney, M. and Cunliffe, B. 2006. The Wessex Hillforts Project. Extensive survey of hillfort interiors in Cenral Southern England, London: English Heritage, 128-130.
Pugh, R.B. and Crittall, E. 1957. A history of Wiltshire, 1.1, The Victoria History of the Counties of England, London: OUP, 263.
Atlas of Hillforts:
Wikidata:
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
Document Version 1.1