Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0002 Bach Camp, Herefordshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Herefordshire MHE52 (344)

NMR:  SO 56 SW 3 (110884)

SM:  1007316

NGR:  SO 547602

X:  354700  Y:  260200  (OSGB36)

Summary

Univallate, contour hillfort located on summit of rounded hill at watershed of Whyle Brook and tributary and overlooking confluence, with River Lugg valley to W. Steep surrounding slopes. Irregular shaped with area c. 4.1ha, defined differentially by single rampart to 5.1m high, with part-buried outer ditch and counterscarp bank to N, E and possibly S, rising to 1.8m. Counterscarp bank is complex and difficult to unravel and probably also existed on W. Mostly removed by cultivation and on E merges into a berm before reappearing; possibly result of landslip or not finished. Three entrances, simple gap possibly modern to N, that to NW complex with possible hornwork, and that on S inturned. Potatoes once grown on the site, but now under management agreement. Natural and animal erosion with sheep scrapes. General improvement as part of management agreements. Public Right of Way and permissive paths. Past tree removal is causing erosion around the stumps. Undated. On 1st Ed. OS map (1888).

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -296646  Y:  6843289  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -2.6648189224193426  Latitude:  52.238082103131894  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Herefordshire

Historic County:  Herefordshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Kimbolton

Monument Condition

Natural and animal erosion with sheep scrapes. General improvement as part of management agreements. Public Right of Way and permissive paths. Past tree removal is causing erosion around the stumps. Site now under management agreements.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Potatoes once grown on the site, but vegetation now managed.

Current Use:
Woodland   ✗
Commercial Forestry Plantation   ✗
Parkland   ✗
Pasture (Grazing)   ✓
Arable   ✗
Scrub/Bracken   ✓
Bare Outcrop   ✗
Heather/Moorland   ✗
Heath   ✗
Built-up   ✗
Coastal Grassland   ✗
Other   ✗

Landscape

Hillfort Type

Univallate, contour hillfort located on summit of rounded hill at watershed of Whyle Brook and tributary and overlooking confluence, with River Lugg valley to W. Steep surrounding slopes.

Type:
Contour Fort   ✓
Partial Contour Fort   ✗
Promontory Fort   ✗
Hillslope Fort   ✗
Level Terrain Fort   ✗
Marsh Fort   ✗
Multiple Enclosure Fort   ✗

Topographic Position

Position:
Hilltop   ✓
Coastal Promontory   ✗
Inland Promontory   ✗
Valley Bottom   ✗
Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop   ✗
Ridge   ✗
Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp   ✗
Hillslope   ✗
Lowland   ✗
Spur   ✓

Dominant Topographic Feature:  Hill top spur.

Aspect:
North   ✗
Northeast   ✗
East   ✗
Southeast   ✗
South   ✗
Southwest   ✗
West   ✗
Northwest   ✗
Level   ✓

Altitude:  150.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

None

Reliability:  D - None

Principal Activity:
Pre 1200BC   ✗
1200BC - 800BC   ✗
800BC - 400BC   ✗
400BC - AD50   ✗
AD50 - AD400   ✗
AD400 - AD 800   ✗
Post AD800   ✗
Unknown   ✓

Other Activity:
Pre Hillfort:   None
Post Hillfort:   None

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

On 1st Ed. OS map (1888). Herefordshire Aerial Archaeological Survey 2002-2006. Herefordshire Council survey 2012.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1888):   OS map
Other (2012):   Herefordshire Council survey 2012.
Other (None):   Herefordshire Aerial Archaeological Survey.

Interior Features

None

Water Source

Stream 0.1km located outside hillfort

Source:
None   ✓
Spring   ✗
Stream   ✗
Pool   ✗
Flush   ✗
Well   ✗
Other   ✗

Surface

None

Interior Features (Surface):
No Known Features   ✓
Round Stone Structures   ✗
Rectangular Stone Structures   ✗
Curvilinear Platforms   ✗
Other Roundhouse Evidence   ✗
Pits   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗

Excavation

None

Interior Features (Excavation):
No Known Excavation   ✓
Pits   ✗
Postholes   ✗
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗
Nothing Found   ✗

Geophysics

None

Interior Features (Geophysics):
No Known Geophysics   ✓
Pits   ✗
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗
Nothing Found   ✗

Finds

None

Interior (Finds):
No Known Finds   ✓
Pottery   ✗
Metal   ✗
Metalworking   ✗
Human Bones   ✗
Animal Bones   ✗
Lithics   ✗
Environmental   ✗
Other   ✗

Aerial

None

Interior Features (Aerial):
APs Not Checked   ✓
None   ✗
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Pits   ✗
Postholes   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Other   ✗

Entrances

Entrances difficult to unravel. The S entrance is inturned and slightly offset. That on the NW is more complex, although a simple gap in the inner rampart, it is cut back to form a broad inner traverse with ditch and possible hornwork. There has also been quarrying here. N entrance damaged by wagon access and possibly modern.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
3:   N entrance damaged by wagon access and possibly modern.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   S entrance original, that on the NW possibly original and more complex with dry-stone revetment.

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. In-turned (South):   The only definite original entrance with good inturn.
2. Simple Gap (North west):   That on the NW is more complex, although a simple gap in the inner rampart, it is cut back to form a broad inner traverse with ditch and possible hornwork.
2. Hornwork (North west):   Possible hornwork.

Enclosing Works

Defined differentially by single rampart to 5.1m high, with part-buried outer ditch and counterscarp bank to N, E and possibly S, rising to 1.8m. Counterscarp bank is complex and difficult to unravel and probably also existed on W. Mostly removed by cultivation and on E merges into a berm before re-appearing; possibly result of landslip or not finished.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   4.1ha.
Total:   4.1ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   The ramparts are irregular which makes assessment difficult, but generally complete the circuit.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
SE Quadrant:   1
SW Quadrant:   1
NW Quadrant:   1
Total:   1

Morphology

Current Morphology:
Partial Univallate   ✗
Univallate   ✓
Partial Bivallate   ✗
Bivallate   ✗
Partial Multivallate   ✗
Multivallate   ✗
Unknown   ✗

Detailed Morphology:
Partial Univallate   ✗
Univallate   ✗
Partial Bivallate   ✗
Bivallate   ✗
Partial Multivallate   ✗
Multivallate   ✗

Surface Evidence

Bank possibly earthen. Counterscarp bank complex and difficult to unravel and probably also existed on W. Mostly removed by cultivation, and on E merges into a berm before reappearing; possibly result of landslip or not finished.

Enclosing Works (Surface):
None   ✗
Earthen Bank   ✓
Stone Wall   ✗
Rubble   ✗
Wall-walk   ✗
Evidence of Timber   ✗
Vitrification   ✗
Other Burning   ✗
Palisade   ✗
Counter Scarp Bank   ✓
Berm   ✓
Unfinished   ✓
Other   ✗

Excavated Evidence

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   ✗

Other

Gang Working:
✗   None

Ditches:
✓   None

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

Dorling, P. and Wigley, A. 2012. Assessment of the archaeological and conservation status of major later prehistoric enclosures in Herefordshire and Shropshire, EH PNUM, Version 3.2, Hereford and Shrewsbury: Herefordshire Council/Shropshire Council.

Page, W. ed. 1908.The Victoria County History of the County of Herefordshire, 1, 214-15, London: St Catherine Press.

RCHME 1934. An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Herefordshire, 3, 79, London: HMSO.



Terms of Use

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


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