LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Northumberland 1546 (None)
NMR: NT 92 NE 58 (2671)
SM: 1006530
NGR: NT 9847 2730
X: 398470 Y: 627300 (OSGB36)
Lying 900m to the SW of Wooller, a large multivallate hillfort of 2.8ha lying at 160m OD. Irregular in form, it follows the contours of a low-lying NW-SE promontory in the W, sloping gently to the E. There is a single earth and stone bank on the E side where the natural slope is steepest. In the N it is strengthened by a broad outer rampart extending around the NW side Double ramparts 4.5m wide and 0.8m high and a medial ditch defend the SE extremity with an entrance at this location. It is divided across the neck of the promontory by three earth and stone ramparts 5.5m wide and 0.8m high running NE to SW which divides the enclosure into two separate compartments. Staggered entrances run centrally through the three banks. The NW compartment measures 108m by 100m enclosing approximately 0.9ha and the SE compartment 70m by 88m enclosing approximately 0.88ha. An external annex is appended to the rampart in the SW with an entrance in the N. In the NW compartment a single entrances lies in the N. An in-turned passage entrance runs SE to NW through the triple rampart. There are low dividing banks within the SE compartment, but no other no evidence for settlement although modification of the banks in the S is consistent with adaptation and reuse in the Roman period. There is anecdotal evidence for finds of Roman coins and a broken sword (Johnston, 1850). Until recently the site of a 19th-20th century golf course and club. The site is shown on 1856-65 OS mapping. No investigation has taken place and the site is undated.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -225510 Y: 7467274 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -2.025793970965845 Latitude: 55.539450188800615 (EPSG:4326)
Country: England
Current County or Unitary Authority: Northumberland
Historic County: Northumberland
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Wooler
None
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Possibly masks internal occupation
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✗ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✓ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
On a low lying NW-SE promontory at 160m OD, a large fort which follows the contours in the W sloping to the E
| 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: Low-lying promontory
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✓ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 160.0m
N/A
Undated, presumed Iron Age
Reliability: D - None
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | Probable Romano-British re-use. Until recently the site of a 19th-20th century golf course and club |
| Morphology/Earthwork/Typology: | None |
General reference by George Tate (Home, 1856, 91). On 1856-65 OS mapping. The site has been mapped from the air as part of the Milfield Geoarchaeoloy Project - archive object MD000292. Field investigations in 1955, 1969. Scheduled
| 1st Identified Written Reference (1850): | None |
| Other (1934): | Scheduled |
| Other (1955): | Field investigation |
| Other (1969): | Field investigation |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (None): | OS mapping |
Low dividing banks within the SE compartment
Humbleton Burn to NW
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Low dividing walls
| 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 | ✗ |
Anecdotal evidence for Roman coins and a broken sword
| 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 | ✗ |
In the NW compartment a single entrance lies in the N. In the SE compartment a single entrance lies centrally in the SE.
| 4: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North): | Inner rampart, NW compartment |
| 1. Simple Gap (North): | Outer rampart, NW compartment |
| 2. Simple Gap (South east): | Inner rampart, SE compartment |
| 2. Simple Gap (South east): | Outer rampart, SE compartment |
Irregular in form it comprises a single earth and stone bank which defends the NE and SW sides where the natural slope is steepest. In the N it is further strengthened by a broad outer rampart. Double ramparts 4.5m wide and 0.8m high and a medial ditch defend the SE extremity. It is divided across the neck of the promontory by three earth and stone ramparts 5.5m wide and 0.8m high running NE to SW which divides the enclosure into two separate compartments.
| Area 1: | 2.8ha. |
| Total: | 2.8ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✓ | None |
| ✓ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SW Quadrant: | 1 |
| NW Quadrant: | 2 |
| Total: | 2 |
| 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 |
| ✓ | Single ditch in SE |
Number of Ditches: 1
| ✓ | An external annex is appended to the rampart in the SW with an entrance in the N. |
Jobey, G.1965. Hillforts and Settlements in Northumberland. Archaeol Aeliana (4th Series) 43
Home, R , G.1850. 'Address to the Members, delivered at the Anniversary Meeting held at Newtown, September 8th, 1852'. Hist Berwickshire Natur Club 3 (1850-56), 85-98
Atlas of Hillforts:
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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