Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0577 Kyloe Camp, Northumberland (Kyloe Crags)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Northumberland 3743 (None)

NMR:  NU 03 NE 13 (6071)

SM:  1006479

NGR:  NU 05168 38893

X:  405168  Y:  638893  (OSGB36)

Summary

On steep crags at 152m OD overlooking Kyloe Woods, with views across to Lindisfarne, a cliff edge fort of 0.5ha. The site is enclosed by two concentric earth and stone ramparts in the N which curve to abut the edge of the steep rocky escarpment in the S and enclosing an area 109m E-W by 63m N-S. The ramparts are spaced approximately 25-30m apart with the inner rampart measuring 0.9-2m high and the outer rampart 0.6m. No evidence of ditches. Entrances lie in the NW and SE. One hut, visible as a scoop bounded by closely set orthostats has been identified within the interior. Tree planting has removed the evidence for further hut circles. A Neolithic axe head discovered in 1929 during quarrying was said to have fallen from the fort. On OS map (1856-65). Undated. Scheduled as Kyloe Hills promontory fort

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -213672  Y:  7487790  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -1.9194454239536431  Latitude:  55.643594957937545  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England; None

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Northumberland

Historic County:  Northumberland

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Kyloe; Lowick

Monument Condition

Some damage caused by afforestation but otherwise in good condition

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

None

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

A cliff-edge fort lying on level ground at 152m OD with the terminals of the banks abutting a sheer scarp edge.

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

Topographic Position

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

Dominant Topographic Feature:  Scarp edge

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  152.0m

Boundary

Parish boundary between Kyloe and Lowick runs to the S

Boundary Type:  Parish/Townland


Dating Evidence

Undated, presumed Iron Age

Reliability:  D - None

Principal Activity:
Pre 1200BC  
1200BC - 800BC  
800BC - 400BC  
400BC - AD50  
AD50 - AD400  
AD400 - AD 800  
Post AD800  
Unknown  

Other Activity:
Pre Hillfort:   A Neolithic axe head discovered in 1929 was said to have fallen from the fort and might indicate some earlier activity on the site
Post Hillfort:   None

Evidence:
Morphology/Earthwork/Typology:   None

Investigation History

Shown on 1856-65 OS mapping. Surveyed by Jobey (1965). Field investigation in 1968; scheduled.

Investigations:
Earthwork Survey (1965):   Jobey
Other (1968):   Field investigation
Other (1968):   Scheduled
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   None

Interior Features

A probable hut has been identified from a scoop bounded by closely set orthostats. Tree planting has removed the evidence for further hut circles

Water Source

A spring lies 500m to the N

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

None

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

Entrances lie in the NW and SE, simple gaps

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
4:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (North west):   Inner rampart
1. Simple Gap (North west):   Outer rampart
2. Simple Gap (South east):   Inner rampart
2. Simple Gap (South east):   Outer rampart

Enclosing Works

Two concentric earth and stone ramparts in the N which curve to abut the edge of the steep rocky escarpment in the S enclosing an area 109m E-W by 63m N-S. The ramparts are spaced approximately 25-30m apart with the inner rampart measuring 0.9-2m high and the outer rampart 0.6m. No evidence of ditches.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.5ha.
Total:   0.5ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   2
SE Quadrant:   None
SW Quadrant:   None
NW Quadrant:   2
Total:   2

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

None

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:
✗   None

Number of Ditches:  None

Annex:
✗   None

References

Hogg, A.H.A. 1979. British Hill-Forts. An Index. British Archaeological Reports, British Series 62. 125

Jobey, G.1965. Hillforts and Settlements in Northumberland. Archaeol Aeliana (4th Series) 43



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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