LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Wiltshire and Swindon MWI16746 (None)
NMR: SU 19 SE 8 (222176)
SM: 1016324
NGR: SU15719117
X: 415716 Y: 191176 (OSGB36)
Univallate partial contour hillfort located on downland spur promontory of Castle Hill facing NW with far reaching views towards River Thames lowlands and its confluence with the River Ray at Cricklade. Moderate surrounding slopes N, E, W, level to moderate on S. Andrews and Dury's Topographical Map of Wiltshire 1773. Site measures c. 250m by 150m aligned approximately NW to SE, roughly triangular in plan with the NW side forming a rounded angle, enclosing 3.5ha. S and W sides defended by bank max. 15m wide. Beyond this ditch 20m wide with substantial counterscarp bank (particularly strong on SE and SW) with crest 4.5m above base ditch. Moderate slopes to NE have slight internal bank. Break in earthworks at the SW and SW angle of probably original entrance. Number of probable storage pits revealed during magnetometer survey during 2004. Colt Hoare recorded possible causeway descending NW from hillfort now thought to be medieval reuse of ditch as trackway. Low earthworks within SW corner possible remains of occupation. Ramparts on NW levelled to form several lynchets, most probably during medieval period. Possible early Iron Age pottery found on S side of rampart. Downland pasture. On Ist Ed. OS map (1886).
Citizen Science: ✓
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -197526 Y: 6731552 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -1.7744084022699655 Latitude: 51.61914344512152 (EPSG:4326)
Country: England
Current County or Unitary Authority: Wiltshire
Historic County: Wiltshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Blunsdon St Andrew
Slight condition, but substantial counterscarp banks. Burytown Lane restricts site on SE.
| 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, univallate, partial contour hillfort located on downland spur promontory of Castle Hill facing NW towards River Thames lowlands and its confluence with the River Ray at Cricklade. Moderate surrounding slopes N, E, W, level to moderate on S.
| Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Partial Contour Fort | ✓ |
| Promontory Fort | ✗ |
| Hillslope Fort | ✗ |
| Level Terrain Fort | ✗ |
| Marsh Fort | ✗ |
| Multiple Enclosure Fort | ✗ |
Located on a downland spur looking north-west towards the River Thames lowlands at its confluence with the River Ray at Cricklade.
| Hilltop | ✗ |
| Coastal Promontory | ✗ |
| Inland Promontory | ✗ |
| Valley Bottom | ✗ |
| Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop | ✗ |
| Ridge | ✗ |
| Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp | ✗ |
| Hillslope | ✗ |
| Lowland | ✗ |
| Spur | ✓ |
Dominant Topographic Feature: Downland spur
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✓ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 132.0m
N/A
Possible early Iron Age pottery found on S side of rampart.
Reliability: C - Low
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✓ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
| Artefactual: | Possible Iron Age pottery. |
Andrews and Dury's Topographical Map of Wiltshire 1773. On Ist Ed. OS map (1886). Magnetometer survey during 2004, Univ. of Oxford. 1988-95 aerial photograph interpretation: Thames Valley NMP.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1773): | Andrews and Dury's Topographical Map of Wiltshire. |
| Other (1886): | OS map. |
| Geophysical Survey (2004): | Magnetometer survey. |
| Other (None): | RCHME aerial photograph interpretation: Thames Valley. NMP. |
A number of probable storage pits were revealed during a magnetometer survey during 2004. Low earthworks within SW corner possible remains of occupation. Possible early Iron Age pottery found on S side of rampart.
None
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Low earthworks within SW corner possible remains of occupation.
| No Known Features | ✗ |
| Round Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Curvilinear Platforms | ✗ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
None
| No Known Excavation | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
A number of probable storage pits were revealed during a magnetometer survey during 2004.
| No Known Geophysics | ✗ |
| Pits | ✓ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
Possible early Iron Age pottery found on S side of rampart.
| 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 simple gap entrance at curving intersection of SW and SE sides. Path over ramparts to N modern.
| 2: | Path over ramparts to N modern. |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (South): | At intersection of SW and SE sides. |
S and W sides defended by bank max. 15m wide. Beyond this ditch 20m wide with substantial counterscarp bank (particularly strong on SE and SW) with crest 4.5m above base ditch. Moderate slopes to NE have slight internal bank.
| Area 1: | 3.5ha. |
| Total: | 3.5ha. |
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 | ✗ |
Strong counterscarp.
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✗ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Rubble | ✗ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✓ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| 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 |
| ✓ | None |
Number of Ditches: 1
| ✗ | None |
Bishop, S. 2004 MAGNETOMETRY SURVEY AT BLUNSDON. University of Oxford.
Colt Hoare 1821. The ancient history of Wiltshire, 2, London: Miller, 39.
Pugh, R.B. and Crittall, E. eds 1957. A history of Wiltshire, 1.1, The Victoria history of the counties of England, Oxford: 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