Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0430 Nash Hill, Wiltshire (Naish Hill)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

Scroll left/right to view further images.

HER:  Wiltshire and Swindon MWI4752 (None)

NMR:  ST 96 W 5 (212130)

SM:  None

NGR:  ST93356939

X:  393352  Y:  169393  (OSGB36)

Summary

Strategically sited inland promontory hillfort located on a W-facing downland spur directly above River Avon. Only discovered by A.C. Clarke in 1954 and visible on aerial photograph and LiDar survey 2005. Roughly rectangular, occupying edge of escarpment. Simple widely-spread bank and ditch across neck of promontory, best on SE where substantial defences and possible traces of second outer bank. N and W sides protected by natural scarp. To the S the natural slopes are such that it is possible that rampart extended along this side, but obliterated by hollow way. On E original causewayed entrance, although the inner scarp of the bank appears to cross it. Possibly incomplete. Probably Iron Age based on morphology, but Samian and Romano-British potsherds chance finds possibly associated with later occupation of fort. Damaged by Naish Farm, with Farm Lane on S and steep slopes of Tacklemore Wood to N. Lynchet on W. In interior later, probably post-medieval subdivision seen as low eroded bank cutting N-S across enclosure.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -233439  Y:  6696543  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -2.097020708022351  Latitude:  51.42345562475207  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Wiltshire

Historic County:  Wiltshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Lacock

Monument Condition

Naish Farm located on part of W and road skirting fort cuts S rampart.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Farmed.

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

Strategically sited inland promontory hillfort located on a W-facing downland spur directly above River Avon.

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

Topographic Position

Sited on a west facing downland spur above the River Avon

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

Dominant Topographic Feature:  W-facing downland spur.

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  130.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

Probably Iron Age based on morphology, but Samian and Romano-British potsherds chance finds possibly associated with later occupation of fort.

Reliability:  C - Low

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:   Samian and Romano-British potsherds.
Morphology/Earthwork/Typology:   Estimated.

Investigation History

LiDar survey 2005. English Heritage Aerial Photograph Investigation National Archaeological Identification Survey. Lowland Pilot.

Investigations:
LiDAR Survey (2005):   English Heritage
Other (None):   EH aerial photograph survey.

Interior Features

Samian and Romano-British potsherds chance finds.

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

Samian and Romano-British potsherds chance finds.

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

On E original causewayed entrance c. 47m from S edge of Tacklemore Wood, although the inner scarp of the bank appears to cross it.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (East):   Causewayed entrance. Inner scarp of the bank appears to cross it.

Enclosing Works

Roughly rectangular occupying edge of escarpment. Simple widely-spread bank and ditch across neck of promontory, best on SE where substantial defences and possible traces of second outer bank. N and W sides protected by natural scarp. To the S the natural slopes are such that it is possible that rampart extended along this side, but obliterated by hollow way.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   Noneha.
Total:   Noneha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   Rampart cuts across promontory.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
SE Quadrant:   1
SW Quadrant:   0
NW Quadrant:   0
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

Possibly incomplete.

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:
✓   Ditch best on SE side.

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

No related records



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


Document Version 1.1