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HER:  Norfolk 5747 (None)
NMR:  TL 8 8 SE 123 (1010222)
SM:  1017670
NGR:  TL 8745 8275
X:  587380  Y:  282810  (OSGB36)
Within Thetford on Castle Hill overlooking the confluence of the Rivers Thet and Little Ouse and the crossing of the Icknield Way. A Norman Motte and Bailey castle re-uses the bi-vallate Iron Age ramparts to the N and NE, it has been shown by excavation in 1962 and 1985-6 (Davies and Gregory 1991; Cushion and Davison 2003) that this was an inland promontory fort utilising a loop in the River Thet around its S side where there were no ramparts, possibly enclosing 7.5ha. Break through the ramparts in the middle to the N as followed by the present path may be an original entrance. On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900). Sporadic Iron Age finds since the 18th century. The 1962 excavations across the ramparts to the NE showed a complex sequence with extensive medieval re-modelling of the Iron Age ramparts and ditches. The original outer ditch appears to have been about 13m wide at the top, 4m deep with a flat bottom, the inner ditch smaller and round-bottomed, the two ramparts consisted of layers of chalk rubble and loam. Excavation in the interior, small amounts in 1962 with larger areas to the S in 1985-6 (with geophysics), show pits, postholes, gullies with Iron Age pottery, other artefacts, human bone and a cremation. Dating is difficult but suggested to be middle Iron Age and perhaps a short duration of occupation.
Citizen Science:  ✓
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed
X:  83890  Y:  6874812  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  0.7535935711005834  Latitude:  52.41115543496788  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  England
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Norfolk
Historic County:  Norfolk
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Thetford
None
Extant   | ✓ |
Cropmark   | ✗ |
Likely Destroyed   | ✓ |
None
Woodland   | ✗ |
Commercial Forestry Plantation   | ✗ |
Parkland   | ✓ |
Pasture (Grazing)   | ✗ |
Arable   | ✗ |
Scrub/Bracken   | ✗ |
Bare Outcrop   | ✗ |
Heather/Moorland   | ✗ |
Heath   | ✗ |
Built-up   | ✓ |
Coastal Grassland   | ✗ |
Other   | ✗ |
Promontory fort on a hilltop overlooking the confluence of the Rivers Thet and Little Ouse, uses a loop in the R. Thet for its S limit.
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:  on a hilltop overlooking the confluence of the Rivers Thet and Little Ouse.
North   | ✗ |
Northeast   | ✗ |
East   | ✗ |
Southeast   | ✗ |
South   | ✗ |
Southwest   | ✗ |
West   | ✗ |
Northwest   | ✗ |
Level   | ✓ |
Altitude:  15.0m
N/A
Iron Age pottery from excavation suggests middle Iron Age but dating in Norfolk is difficult. Neolithic and Bronze Age artefacts. Extensive medieval occupation, Motte and Bailey Castle.
Reliability:  B - Medium
Pre 1200BC   | ✗ |
1200BC - 800BC   | ✗ |
800BC - 400BC   | ✗ |
400BC - AD50   | ✓ |
AD50 - AD400   | ✗ |
AD400 - AD 800   | ✗ |
Post AD800   | ✗ |
Unknown   | ✗ |
Pre Hillfort:   | None |
Post Hillfort:   | None |
Artefactual:   | None |
On 1st Ed OS map. Excavations in 1962 (Rainbird Clark) and 1985-5 (all in Davies and Gregory 1991), geophysical survey 1984. Various watching briefs and metal detecting finds since 1984 (HER).
Excavation (1962):   | None |
Geophysical Survey (1984):   | None |
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   | None |
Excavation (None):   | None |
Excavation in the interior, small amounts in 1962 with larger areas to the S in 1985-6 (with geophysics), show pits, postholes, gullies with Iron Age pottery, other artefacts, human bone and a cremation.
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   | ✓ |
NO APPARENT FEATURES
APs Not Checked   | ✓ |
None   | ✗ |
Roundhouses   | ✗ |
Rectangular Structures   | ✗ |
Pits   | ✗ |
Postholes   | ✗ |
Roads/Tracks   | ✗ |
Other   | ✗ |
Break through the ramparts in the middle to the N as followed by the present path may be an original entrance although the ramparts are badly damaged and altered.
None:   | None |
2:   | None |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
1. Simple Gap (North):   | None |
A complex sequence with extensive medieval re-modelling of the two Iron Age ramparts and ditches. The original outer ditch appears to have been about 13m wide at the top, 4m deep with a flat bottom, the inner ditch smaller and round-bottomed, the two ramparts consisted of layers of chalk rubble and loam.
Area 1:   | 7.5ha. |
Total:   | 7.5ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.
None
✗   | None |
✗   | None |
NE Quadrant:   | 2 |
SE Quadrant:   | 0 |
SW Quadrant:   | 0 |
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 |
✓   | None |
Number of Ditches:  2
✗   | None |
Cushion, B. and Davison, A. 2003. Earthworks of Norfolk. E Anglian Archaeol Rep. No. 104, 180-2.
Davies, J. and Gregory, T. 1992. Excavations at Thetford Castle, 1962 and 1985-6, in The Iron Age Forts of Norfolk. E Anglian Archaeol Rep. No. 54, 1-30.
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