Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0407 Vespasian's Camp, Wiltshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Wiltshire and Swindon MWI12551 (None)

NMR:  SU 14 SW69 (1012126)

SM:  219627

NGR:  SU14704166

X:  414703  Y:  141666  (OSGB36)

Summary

Univallate contour hillfort located on wooded hill in a commanding position with steep E and S sides to the River Avon, c. 2km E of Stonehenge. Single bank and ditch encloses rough triangular site of 16ha cutting across spur formed by bend of the river. Best preserved on W where top bank 6.5m above ditch and 2m above interior, much alteration by 18th century landscaping and agricultural activity. Counterscarp accentuates ditch on W side. Entrance at N tip. Ancient roadway from Amesbury to Stonehenge crosses S part of fort, possibly using SE and SW entrances (Bowden 2016), some building S of road. Road widening in 1964 with small 1987 excavation in interior and close to S rampart showed that enclosure built in mid 1st millennium BC and enlarged shortly afterwards (Hunter-Mann 1999). All pottery found was early Iron Age c. 5th century BC, the most diagnostic being fragments of locally manufactured scratch cordoned bowls. The excavation also found a post-hole/small pit. The rampart building was followed by a period of intense occupation of the hillfort, represented by deposits of domestic waste over 1m thick accumulated against the inner face of the ramparts. No secondary occupation deposits. Several barrows in the interior. On Ist Ed. OS map (1878-79).

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -199382  Y:  6652128  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -1.7910780203824508  Latitude:  51.17398914877672  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Wiltshire

Historic County:  Wiltshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Amesbury

Monument Condition

Fair condition. Best on W. Built on S of ancient road.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Wooded spur. Built on S of ancient road.

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

Univallate contour hillfort located on wooded spur formed by bend in River Avon in a commanding position with steep E and S sides down to the river.

Type:
Contour Fort  
Partial Contour Fort  
Promontory Fort  
Hillslope Fort  
Level Terrain Fort  
Marsh Fort  
Multiple Enclosure Fort  

Topographic Position

Strategically sited on a rising spur above the great horseshoe bend of the River Avon at Amesbury.

Position:
Hilltop  
Coastal Promontory  
Inland Promontory  
Valley Bottom  
Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop  
Ridge  
Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp  
Hillslope  
Lowland  
Spur  

Dominant Topographic Feature:  Spur above River Avon.

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  90.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

Early Iron Age occupation - pottery dating mainly to the 5th century BC, the most diagnostic being fragments of locally manufactured scratch cordoned bowls, with middle Iron Age types being almost entirely absent.

Reliability:  B - Medium

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:   Early Iron Age pottery.

Investigation History

In Aubrey's Monumenta Britannica (1665-1693). On Ist Ed. OS map (1878-79). Excavation by Faith Vatcher in 1968 and Kurt Hunter-Mann 1987. Geophysical Surveys in 1995 in the S part. Watching brief in 2001, at Skye House. Survey 2016.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1812):   Philip Crocker's map of Stonehenge environs showing location of site in Colt Hoare (1812).
Excavation (1968):   Undertaken by Faith Vacher
Other (1984):   Visited by Hillfort Study Group
Excavation (1987):   Undertaken by Kurt Hunter-Mann.
Geophysical Survey (1995):   AML
Other (2001):   EH Stonehenge WHS M/Prog. Aerial photograph interpretation and measured survey.
Earthwork Survey (2016):   Historic England
1st Identified Written Reference (None):   Aubrey's Monumenta Britannica.
Other (None):   OS map.
Other (None):   RCAHME Salisbury Plan Training Area NMP.
Other (None):   Watching briefs.

Interior Features

Pottery dating mainly to the 5th century BC, with middle Iron Age types being almost entirely absent. Worked flint and possible Roman tile from watching brief 1996. Geophysical Surveys in 1995 in S part revealed linear anomaly enclosing a semi-circular area approximately 30m in diameter which probably represents a cut, a ditch, a dwelling or a Bronze Age barrow. The hillfort rampart clearly visible. A narrow band may represent a revetment or counterscarp feature. The 1987 excavation also found a post-hole/small pit.

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

The 1987 excavation found a posthole/small pit.

Interior Features (Excavation):
No Known Excavation  
Pits  
Postholes  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Roads/Tracks  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  
Nothing Found  

Geophysics

Geophysical Surveys in 1995 in the S part of revealed linear anomaly enclosing a semi-circular area approximately 30m in diameter which probably represents a cut, a ditch, a dwelling or a Bronze Age barrow. The hillfort rampart is clearly visible. A narrow band may represent a revetment or counterscarp feature.

Interior Features (Geophysics):
No Known Geophysics  
Pits  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Roads/Tracks  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  
Nothing Found  

Finds

Pottery dating mainly to the 5th century BC, with middle Iron Age types being almost entirely absent. Worked flint and possible Roman tile.

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

Entrance at N tip. Ancient roadway from Amesbury to Stonehenge crosses S part of fort, possibly using SE and SW entrances entrance.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
3:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (North):   None
2. Simple Gap (South east):   None

Enclosing Works

Single bank and ditch encloses rough triangular site of 16ha cutting across spur formed by bend of the river. Best preserved on W where top bank 6.5m above ditch and 2m above interior. Counterscarp accentuates ditch on W side. Excavation showed 1m thick deposits dumped on the rampart separating chalk rubble of two main phases of construction.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   16.0ha.
Total:   16.0ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✓   Excavation showed 1m thick deposits dumped on the rampart separating chalk rubble of two main phases of construction.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   Phased.

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

Geophysics indicates narrow band may represent a revetment or counterscarp feature.

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

Excavation showed 1m thick deposits dumped on the rampart separating chalk rubble of two main phases of construction.

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:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

Anon 1998. Excavation and fieldwork in Wiltshire 1996, Wiltshire Archaeol Natur Hist Mag, 91, 152-66.

Bowden, M. 2016. Stonehenge Southern WHS Survey: Vespasian's Camp, Amesbury, Wiltshire: interim report on analytical earthwork survey. Historic England.

Bowden, MCB, Soutar, S, Field, DJ and Barber, M. 2015. The Stonehenge Landscape: analysing the Stonehenge World Heritage Site. Historic England: Swindon

Canham, R 1996. Wiltshire News-Wiltshire County Council: Libraries, Museums and Art. CBA Wessex Newsletter April 1996. 18-19

Cole, M. A. 1995. VESPASIAN'S CAMP, AMESBURY, WILTSHIRE, REPORT ON GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY, AUGUST 1995, AM LAB REPORT 44/95.

Hoare, R.C. 1812. The ancient history of South Wiltshire, Vol 1, London: William Miller, 219-20, (re-published 1975, Wakefield: EP publishing).

Hunter-Mann, K. 1999. Excavations at Vespasian's Camp Iron Age hillfort, Wiltshire Archaeol Natur Hist Mag, 92, 39-52.

Jacques, D, Phillips, T and Lyons, T 2012 Vespasian's Camp: the cradle of Stonehenge? Current Archaeol, 271, 28-33

RCHME, 1979. The Stonehenge Environs: monuments and land use. Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England/Edinburgh University Press: Edinburgh



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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