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HER: West Sussex MWS6482 (None)
NMR: SU 72 SE 3 (243008)
SM: 1015966
NGR: SU779202
X: 477871 Y: 120308 (OSGB36)
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 Part excavation 1948 and 1956-58 (unpublished) indicated phased reconstruction and modification from the early Iron Age with use to 100 BC. 5th-3rd centuries BC defined as promontory fort, with N-S ditch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: -0.8921858642386277 Latitude: 50.97686514182909 (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.
Condition:Extant | ✓ |
Cropmark | ✗ |
Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Pasture interior with scattered trees, wooded surrounds. Medieval foundations.
Current Use: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.
Type: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
N/A
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
Principal Activity:Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
800BC - 400BC | ✓ |
400BC - AD50 | ✓ |
AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
Post AD800 | ✗ |
Unknown | ✗ |
Pre Hillfort: | None |
Post Hillfort: | None |
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.
1st Identified Map Depiction (1958): | None |
Excavation (None): | A.R. Taylor, H. Brightwell |
Excavation (None): | E. Bawtry, J.R. Boyden, G.C. Duncan |
Now infilled pits with Iron Age pottery.
None
Source:None | ✓ |
Spring | ✗ |
Stream | ✗ |
Pool | ✗ |
Flush | ✗ |
Well | ✗ |
Other | ✗ |
None
Interior Features (Surface):No Known Features | ✓ |
Round Stone Structures | ✗ |
Rectangular Stone Structures | ✗ |
Curvilinear Platforms | ✗ |
Other Roundhouse Evidence | ✗ |
Pits | ✗ |
Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
Other | ✗ |
Now infilled pits.
Interior Features (Excavation):No Known Excavation | ✗ |
Pits | ✓ |
Postholes | ✗ |
Roundhouses | ✗ |
Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
Other | ✗ |
Nothing Found | ✗ |
None
Interior Features (Geophysics):No Known Geophysics | ✓ |
Pits | ✗ |
Roundhouses | ✗ |
Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
Other | ✗ |
Nothing Found | ✗ |
Iron Age pottery.
Interior (Finds):No Known Finds | ✗ |
Pottery | ✓ |
Metal | ✗ |
Metalworking | ✗ |
Human Bones | ✗ |
Animal Bones | ✗ |
Lithics | ✗ |
Environmental | ✗ |
Other | ✗ |
None
Interior Features (Aerial):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: | None |
2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
1. Passage-way/Corridor (East): | None |
1. In-turned (East): | 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:Area 1: | 2.8ha. |
Total: | 2.8ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
Multi-period Enclosure System:✓ | Phased construction. |
✓ | 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
Enclosing Works (Surface):None | ✗ |
Earthen Bank | ✓ |
Stone Wall | ✗ |
Rubble | ✗ |
Wall-walk | ✗ |
Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
Vitrification | ✗ |
Other Burning | ✗ |
Palisade | ✗ |
Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
Berm | ✗ |
Unfinished | ✗ |
Other | ✗ |
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 | ✗ |
✗ | None |
✓ | Mainly infilled. |
Number of Ditches: 1
Annex:✗ | None |
Cunliffe, B, 1976. Iron Age Sites in Central Southern England, Council For British Archaeology Research Report, Vol. 16, 1-29.
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