LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Bath and NE Somerset MBN1717 (None)
NMR: ST 76 NE 30 (203323)
SM: 1002481
NGR: ST76806790
X: 376800 Y: 167900 (OSGB36)
Commanding, univallate, contour hillfort located on summit of prominent hill in Batheaston, above significant bend of River Avon on SE and valleys of Lam Brook and St Catherine's Brook. Steep surrounding slopes, greater on N. Roughly triangular enclosure with area c. 7.9ha. Defined by single dry-stone faced rampart, to c. 0.9m high, with mostly no ditch, on all sides except N, where there is vestige of bank and ditch, and on extreme S section of ditch for c. 60m to c. 1m deep with counterscarp bank. Single inturned entrance on NW. In interior low medieval strip fields show later cultivation with small stones marking the terminal points. Three small trenches dug by W.A. Dowden 1955, 1956 and1958 revealed timber huts constructed during first Iron Age rampart construction, later replaced by stone hut circles c. 150 BC. Main occupation second century BC and abandoned c. 100 BC - 50 BC before Roman period. Many finds. Two human inhumations found in interior 1906. Flint implements found 1866 by J. Evans. During 1896-1904 surface finds included leaf-shaped flint arrowheads, scrapers, spindle-whorl, worked bone and horn, and pottery sherds, some decorated, a few pieces of bronze, and numerous iron artifacts, the latter in association with burnt clay and charcoal. Geophysical survey, Bath and Camerton Archaeological Society 2012. Pasture interior with wooded slopes to N and sparse wooded slopes on W. Evidence of quarrying around site and scarp cut into on W. Banks denuded. On 1st Ed. OS map(1888). .
Citizen Science: ✓
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -259928 Y: 6694068 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -2.3349768153602395 Latitude: 51.409592396263356 (EPSG:4326)
Country: England
Current County or Unitary Authority: Bath and NE Somerset
Historic County: Somerset
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Batheaston
Banks denuded. Quarrying evidence on all sides and scarp cut into on W. National Trust site.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Pasture interior with wooded slopes to N and sparse wooded slopes on W.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Commanding, univallate, contour hillfort located on summit of prominent hill above significant bend of River Avon on SE and valleys of Lam Brook and St Catherine's Brook. Steep surrounding slopes, greater on N.
| 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: Hill top
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 188.0m
N/A
Excavations 1955, 1956,1958 revealed timber huts constructed during first Iron Age rampart construction, later replaced by stone hut circles c. 150 BC. Main occupation second century BC and abandoned c. 100 BC - 50 BC before Roman period. Many finds. Two human inhumations found in interior 1906. Flint implements found 1866 by J. Evans. During 1896-1904 surface finds included leaf-shaped fling arrowheads, scrapers,cspindle-whorl, worked bone and horn, and pottery sherds, some decorated, a few pieces of bronze, and numerous iron artifacts, the latter in association with burnt clay, charcoal.
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: | Many finds. |
| Morphology/Earthwork/Typology: | None |
In Aubrey's Monumenta Britannica (1665-1693) and by J. Collinson as Salisbury Hill 1791. On 1st Ed. OS map (1888). Excavation W.A. Dowden 1955, 1956, 1958. Air Photograph Interpretation RCHME: Air Photograph Primary Recording Project 1992-96. 2012 geophysics.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1888): | OS map. |
| Geophysical Survey (2012): | Bath and Camerton Archaeological Society |
| 1st Identified Written Reference (None): | None |
| Excavation (None): | W.A. Dowden. |
| Other (None): | Air Photograph Interpretation RCHME: Air Photograph Primary Recording Project. |
Excavations 1955, 1956,1958 revealed timber huts constructed during first Iron Age rampart construction, later replaced by stone hut circles c. 150 BC. Geophysical survey showed numerous roundhouse sites in interior and inner quarry ditch around circuit. Many finds. Two human inhumations found in interior 1906. Flint implements found 866 by J. Evans. During 1896-1904 surface finds included leaf-shaped fling arrowheads, scrapers, spindle-whorl, worked bone and horn, and pottery sherds, some decorated, a few pieces of bronze, and numerous iron artifacts, the latter in association with burnt clay, charcoal.
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 | ✗ |
Excavations 1955, 1956,1958 revealed timber huts constructed during first Iron Age rampart construction, later replaced by stone hut circles c. 150 BC. Postholes found with apparent ritual pottery deposits in bottom and showed no evidence of burning, leading Dowden to suggest there had been no violent event with widespread burning.
| No Known Excavation | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✓ |
| Roundhouses | ✓ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
Numerous roundhouse sites. Inner quarry ditch around circuit.
| No Known Geophysics | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✓ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✓ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
Many finds. Two human inhumations found in interior 1906. Flint implements found 866 by J. Evans. During 1896-1904 surface finds included leaf-shaped fling arrowheads, scrapers, spindle-whorl, worked bone and horn, and pottery sherds, some decorated, a few pieces of bronze, and numerous iron artifacts, the latter in association with burnt clay, charcoal.
| 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 | ✗ |
Single inturned entrance on NW.
| 1: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. In-turned (North west): | None |
Defined by single dry-stone faced rampart, to c. 0.9m high, with mostly no ditch, on all sides except N, where there is vestige of bank and ditch, and on S section of ditch with counterscarp bank
| Area 1: | 7.9ha. |
| Total: | 7.9ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✓ | Three phases of occupation showed by Dowden in excavations on NW hilltop: pre-rampart, rampart era and post-rampart, with occupation near the rampart. |
| ✓ | 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 | ✗ |
Single dry-stone faced rampart. Counterscarp on S.
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✓ |
| Rubble | ✗ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✓ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Excavations by Dowden on NW hilltop in the vicinity of the quarry visited by Collins and Falconer. Taken down to bedrock, trenches showed three phases of occupation: pre-rampart, rampart era, and post-rampart. Rampart constructed some time after first Iron Age occupation began and had apparently been thrown down for an unknown reason. Building and occupation continued well after this event.
| 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: 1
| ✗ | None |
Burrow, E.J. 1924. The ancient earthworks and camps of Somerset, Cheltenham: E.J. Burrow, 50-1.
Burrow, I. 1981. Hillfort and hill-top settlement in Somerset in the first to eighth centuries AD, British Archaeological Report (BAR) British Series 1, 91, 208-9.
Catling, C. 2014. On Solsbury Hill. Seeing inside a hillfort. Current Archaeol, 292, 16-23.
Collinson, J. 1791. History and Antiquities of Somerset, 1, 98-101.
Dowden, W.A. 1957. Little Solsbury Hill Camp. Report on excavations of 1955 and 1956, Proc Univ Bristol Spelaeol Soc, 8, 18-19.
Dowden, W.A. 1962. Little Solsbury Hill Camp. Report on the excavations of 1958, Proc Univ Bristol Spelaeol Soc, 9, 177-82.
Oswin, J. and Buettner, R. 2014. Little Solsbury Hill Camp Geophysical Survey Batheaston, Somerset 2012. Report Bath and Camerton Archaeological Society (https://bacas.org.uk)..
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