EN3739: Torberry   |
Sources: Esri, DigitalGlobe, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, GeoEye, USDA FSA, USGS, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, and the GIS User Community
HER:  West Sussex MWS6482
NMR:  SU 72 SE 3 (243008)
SM:  1015966
NGR:  SU779202
X:  477871  Y:  120308  (EPSG:27700)
Boundary:  ✗
Slight, univallate, contour hillfort located on chalk spur projecting to N from a ridge of Sussex Downs. Pear-shaped aligned E-W enclosing c. 2.8ha. Defined by low bank or scarp surrounded by a mainly infilled ditch. Part excavation 1948 and 1956-58 (unpublished) indicated phased reconstruction and modification from the early Iron Age with use to 100 BC. 5th-3rd centuries BC defined as promontory fort, with N-S ditch and timber-reinforced bank across centre protecting W end of the steeply-sided spur. During 3rd century BC, ramparts enclosed whole spur-top, and new entrance on E. This gate modified during 2nd century BC with inturned stone-walled passage leading to timber gate, destroyed c. 100 BC. Now infilled pits in interior with Iron Age pottery. Medieval flour-milling post-mill foundation mound, the 'Fairy Bed' in W sector of earlier enclosure. Pasture interior with scattered trees, wooded surrounds. Plough damage but survives fairly well. On OS 1:25,000 map (1958).
Citizen Science:   | ✗   |
Reliability of Data:   | Confirmed |
Reliability of Interpretation:   | Confirmed |
X:  -99318  Y:  6617202  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -0.892186  Latitude:  50.976865  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  England
Current County or Unitary Authority:  West Sussex
Historic County:   Sussex
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Harting
Plough damage, but survives fairly well.
Extant:   | ✓ |
Cropmark:   | ✗ |
Likely Destroyed:   | ✗ |
Pasture interior with scattered trees, wooded surrounds. Medieval foundations.
Woodland:   | ✓ |
Commercial Forestry Plantation:   | ✗ |
Parkland:   | ✗ |
Pasture (Grazing):   | ✓ |
Arable:   | ✗ |
Scrub/Bracken:   | ✗ |
Bare Outcrop:   | ✗ |
Heather/Moorland:   | ✗ |
Heath:   | ✗ |
Built-up:   | ✗ |
Coastal Grassland:   | ✗ |
Other:   | ✓ |
Slight univallate hillfort located chalk spur projecting to N from a ridge of Sussex Downs.
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:  Spur
North:   | ✗ |
Northeast:   | ✗ |
East:   | ✗ |
Southeast:   | ✗ |
South:   | ✗ |
Southwest:   | ✗ |
West:   | ✗ |
Northwest:   | ✗ |
Level:   | ✓ |
Altitude:  156.0m
Boundary Type:   | ✗ |
Second HER:  ✗
Second Current County or Unitary Authority:  ✗
Second Historic County:  ✗
Second Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  ✗
Part excavation 1948 and 1956-58 indicated phased reconstruction and modification from the early Iron Age with use to 100 BC. Iron Age pottery.
Reliability:  B - Medium
Pre 1200BC:   | ✗ |
1200BC - 800BC:   | ✗ |
800BC - 400BC:   | ✓ |
400BC - AD50:   | ✓ |
AD50 - AD400:   | ✗ |
AD400 - AD 800:   | ✗ |
Post AD800:   | ✗ |
Unknown:   | ✗ |
Pre Hillfort Activity:   | ✗   |
Post Hillfort Activity:   | ✓   | Medieval flour-milling post-mill foundation mound, the 'Fairy Bed' in W sector of earlier enclosure. |
Artefactual:   | Iron Age pottery. |
Morphology/Earthwork/Typology:   | Excavation evidence. |
On OS 1:25,000 map (1958). Excavation A.R. Taylor, H. Brightwell 1947-49. Excavation E. Bawtry, J.R. Boyden, G.C. Duncan 1956-58.
Excavation (1947-1949):   | A.R. Taylor, H. Brightwell |
Excavation (1956-1958):   | E. Bawtry, J.R. Boyden, G.C. Duncan |
1st Identified Map Depiction (1958):   |
Now infilled pits with Iron Age pottery.
None:   | ✓ |
Spring:   | ✗ |
Stream:   | ✗ |
Pool:   | ✗ |
Flush:   | ✗ |
Well:   | ✗ |
Other:   | ✗ |
No Known Features:   | ✓ |
Round Stone Structures:   | ✗ |
Rectangular Stone Structures:   | ✗ |
Curvilinear Platforms:   | ✗ |
Other Roundhouse Evidence:   | ✗ |
Pits:   | ✗ |
Quarry Hollows:   | ✗ |
Other:   | ✗ |
Now infilled pits.
No Known Excavation:   | ✗ |
Pits:   | ✓ |
Postholes:   | ✗ |
Roundhouses:   | ✗ |
Rectangular Structures:   | ✗ |
Roads/Tracks:   | ✗ |
Quarry Hollows:   | ✗ |
Other:   | ✗ |
Nothing Found:   | ✗ |
No Known Geophysics:   | ✓ |
Pits:   | ✗ |
Roundhouses:   | ✗ |
Rectangular Structures:   | ✗ |
Roads/Tracks:   | ✗ |
Quarry Hollows:   | ✗ |
Other:   | ✗ |
Nothing Found:   | ✗ |
Iron Age pottery.
No Known Finds:   | ✗ |
Pottery:   | ✓ |
Metal:   | ✗ |
Metalworking:   | ✗ |
Human Bones:   | ✗ |
Animal Bones:   | ✗ |
Lithics:   | ✗ |
Environmental:   | ✗ |
Other:   | ✗ |
APs Not Checked:   | ✓ |
None:   | ✗ |
Roundhouses:   | ✗ |
Rectangular Structures:   | ✗ |
Pits:   | ✗ |
Postholes:   | ✗ |
Roads/Tracks:   | ✗ |
Other:   | ✗ |
During third century BC, ramparts enclosed whole spur-top, and new entrance on E. This gate modified during 2nd century BC with inturned stone-walled passage leading to timber gate, destroyed c. 100 BC.
Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:   | 1  |
Number of Possible Original Entrances:   |   |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:   | ✗   |
Entrance 1 (East):   | Passage-way/Corridor | |
Entrance 1 (East):   | In-turned:   | Gate modified during snd century BC with inturned stone-walled passage leading to timber gate, destroyed c. 100 BC. |
Defined by low bank or scarp surrounded by a mainly infilled ditch.
Enclosed Area 1:   | 2.8ha. |
Enclosed Area 2:   | ✗ |
Enclosed Area 3:   | ✗ |
Enclosed Area 4:   | ✗ |
Total Enclosed Area:   | 2.8ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  ✗
Multi-period Enclosure System:   | ✓   | Phased construction. |
Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:   | ✓   |
Number of Ramparts:   | 1 |
Number of Ramparts NE Quadrant:   | 1 |
Number of Ramparts SE Quadrant:   | 1 |
Number of Ramparts SW Quadrant:   | 1 |
Number of Ramparts NW Quadrant:   | 1 |
Partial Univallate:   | ✗ |
Univallate:   | ✓ |
Partial Bivallate:   | ✗ |
Bivallate: | ✗ |
Partial Multivallate:   | ✗ |
Multivallate:   | ✗ |
Unknown:   | ✗ |
Partial Univallate:   | ✗ |
Univallate:   | ✗ |
Partial Bivallate:   | ✗ |
Bivallate:   | ✗ |
Partial Multivallate:   | ✗ |
Multivallate:   | ✗ |
None:   | ✗ |
Earthen Bank:   | ✓ |
Stone Wall:   | ✗ |
Rubble:   | ✗ |
Wall-walk:   | ✗ |
Evidence of Timber:   | ✗ |
Vitrification:   | ✗ |
Other Burning:   | ✗ |
Palisade:   | ✗ |
Counter Scarp Bank:   | ✗ |
Berm:   | ✗ |
Unfinished:   | ✗ |
Other:   | ✗ |
None:   | ✓ |
Earthen Bank:   | ✗ |
Stone Wall:   | ✗ |
Murus Duplex:   | ✗ |
Timber-framed:   | ✗ |
Timber-laced:   | ✗ |
Vitrification:   | ✗ |
Other Burning:   | ✗ |
Palisade:   | ✗ |
Counter Scarp Bank:   | ✗ |
Berm:   | ✗ |
Unfinished:   | ✗ |
No Known Excavation:   | ✗ |
Other:   | ✗ |
Gang Working:   | ✗  |
Ditches:  ✓
Number of Ditches:   | 1:   | Mainly infilled. |
Annex:   | ✗   |
Cunliffe, B, 1976. Iron Age Sites in Central Southern England, Council For British Archaeology Research Report, Vol. 16, 1-29.
Atlas of Hillforts:  https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk/?query=Atlas_of_Hillforts_4166_0%2CMain_Atlas_Number%2C3739
Wikidata:  http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q31117640
The online version of the Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland should be cited as:
Lock, G. and Ralston, I. 2017.  Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. [ONLINE] Available at: https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.