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HER:  Somerset 24462 (None)
NMR:  ST 74 SE 2 (202867)
SM:  1008804
NGR:  ST798439
X:  379800  Y:  143900  (OSGB36)
Small univallate part contour hillfort 137m by 23m located in NE corner of Longleat Wood, at W tip of prominent Roddenbury Hill. On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900). Dense undergrowth has hampered investigation. Curvilinear in shape, defences most massive across ridge on E side, the bank 1.6m high with external ditch 1.8m deep. Elsewhere bank c. 0.4m high, with drop to outer terrace up to 10m wide. Defences disturbed on SW by sand digging. E entrance on top of ridge, with broad level causeway across ditch and rampart. Slightly inturned on S side. Small scale diggings for sand in interior, Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed
X:  -254975  Y:  6655665  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -2.290477993413581  Latitude:  51.19390357676164  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  England
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Somerset
Historic County:  Somerset
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Selwood
Affected by sand quarrying and digging since 19th century.
Extant   | ✓ |
Cropmark   | ✗ |
Likely Destroyed   | ✗ |
Dense undergrowth has precluded much investigation. Quarrying.
Woodland   | ✓ |
Commercial Forestry Plantation   | ✗ |
Parkland   | ✗ |
Pasture (Grazing)   | ✗ |
Arable   | ✗ |
Scrub/Bracken   | ✓ |
Bare Outcrop   | ✗ |
Heather/Moorland   | ✗ |
Heath   | ✗ |
Built-up   | ✗ |
Coastal Grassland   | ✗ |
Other   | ✓ |
Partial contour fort following the contours on the SW and NW, cutting across on the NE, SE. Slight slope to SW. Located in the NE corner of Longleat Wood, at the W tip of the prominent Roddenbury Hill.
Contour Fort   | ✗ |
Partial Contour Fort   | ✓ |
Promontory Fort   | ✗ |
Hillslope Fort   | ✗ |
Level Terrain Fort   | ✗ |
Marsh Fort   | ✗ |
Multiple Enclosure Fort   | ✗ |
Hilltop   | ✓ |
Coastal Promontory   | ✗ |
Inland Promontory   | ✗ |
Valley Bottom   | ✗ |
Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop   | ✗ |
Ridge   | ✗ |
Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp   | ✗ |
Hillslope   | ✗ |
Lowland   | ✗ |
Spur   | ✗ |
Dominant Topographic Feature:  Prominent hill top.
North   | ✗ |
Northeast   | ✗ |
East   | ✗ |
Southeast   | ✗ |
South   | ✗ |
Southwest   | ✓ |
West   | ✗ |
Northwest   | ✗ |
Level   | ✗ |
Altitude:  175.0m
N/A
None
Reliability:  D - None
Pre 1200BC   | ✗ |
1200BC - 800BC   | ✗ |
800BC - 400BC   | ✗ |
400BC - AD50   | ✗ |
AD50 - AD400   | ✗ |
AD400 - AD 800   | ✗ |
Post AD800   | ✗ |
Unknown   | ✓ |
Pre Hillfort:   | None |
Post Hillfort:   | None |
On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900). Dense undergrowth has precluded past investigation.
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   | 1st Ed OS |
None
None
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   | ✗ |
None
No Known Excavation   | ✓ |
Pits   | ✗ |
Postholes   | ✗ |
Roundhouses   | ✗ |
Rectangular Structures   | ✗ |
Roads/Tracks   | ✗ |
Quarry Hollows   | ✗ |
Other   | ✗ |
Nothing Found   | ✗ |
None
No Known Geophysics   | ✓ |
Pits   | ✗ |
Roundhouses   | ✗ |
Rectangular Structures   | ✗ |
Roads/Tracks   | ✗ |
Quarry Hollows   | ✗ |
Other   | ✗ |
Nothing Found   | ✗ |
None
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   | ✗ |
E entrance on top of ridge, with broad level causeway across ditch and rampart. Slightly inturned on S side.
1:   | None |
2:   | None |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
1. In-turned (East):   | Level causeway. Slightly inturned on S side. |
Curvilinear in shape, the defences are most massive across the ridge on E side, the bank 1.6m high with external ditch 1.8m deep. Elsewhere bank c. 0.4m high, with drop to outer terrace up to 10m wide. Defences disturbed on SW by sand digging.
Area 1:   | 0.84ha. |
Total:   | 0.84ha. |
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   | ✗ |
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 |
✓   | External ditch. |
Number of Ditches:  1
✗   | None |
Burrow, I. 1981. Hillfort and hill-top settlement in Somerset in the first to eighth centuries AD, BAR British Series 1(1974) - 91, 247.
Page, W. (ed) 1911. The Victoria County History of the County of Somerset, 2, 509-10, London: St Catherine Press.
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