Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0019 Garmsley Camp, Herefordshire (The Wrathes)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

Scroll left/right to view further images.

HER:  Worcestershire WSM05313 (WSM05313)

NMR:  SO 66 SW5 (112664)

SM:  1002942

NGR:  SO 620618

X:  362042  Y:  261835  (OSGB36)

Summary

Hillslope fort located on steep slopes overlooking the Kyre Brook and the headwaters of the River Frome to the S and W. On 1st Ed OS map (1888). Encloses 3.6ha. Univallate with strong bank and ditch across the W end of a narrow ridge, Naturally steep slopes on the other sides and protected by a bank, which is best preserved to the N and NW. There are four potential entrances, but only two are deemed entirely original. The site is nearly destroyed and is seen as a scarp above natural slopes, best to the W and E ends. The ditch is nearly gone, with vestigial remains on the N side. Roman bricks have been found. Generally grazed pasture.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -284699  Y:  6846062  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -2.55749073923361  Latitude:  52.253337408733806  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Worcestershire

Historic County:  Herefordshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Stoke Bliss

Monument Condition

The site is almost destroyed with only vestigal remains extant.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

Generally grazed pasture, but near destruction.

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

A (former) hillslope enclosure. Located on steep slopes overlooking the Kyre Brook and the headwaters of the River Frome to the S and W.

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:  Hillslope.

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

Altitude:  196.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

Roman bricks found.

Reliability:  C - Low

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:   Possible Roman use.

Evidence:
Artefactual:   Roman bricks found.

Investigation History

On 1st Ed OS map (1888).

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1888):   OS map

Interior Features

None

Water Source

Stream located 0.1 km outside enclsoure.

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

Roman bricks

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

Although there are four gaps through the ramparts, only W (in-turned) and E (simple gap) can be said to be original.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
4:   Additional midway gap on E modern; N possibly modern

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   W and E, possibly original, entrances can be seen

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. In-turned (West):   No detail recorded, but probably original.
2. Simple Gap (East):   No detail recorded, but probably original.

Enclosing Works

Strong bank and ditch across W end of narrow ridge, naturally steep slopes and bank protection elsewhere.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   3.6ha.
Total:   3.6ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

The southern single rampart is destroyed making interpretation difficult.

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   The site is nearly destroyed and is thus seen as a scarp above natural slopes, best to the W and E ends. Identification therefore difficult.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   The rampart is nearly destroyed and can only be seen in small sections at the W and E ends of the site.

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

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   ✗

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:
✓   The ditch is nearly gone, with vestigial remains on the N side

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

Bowen, A.R. 1952. The hill-forts of Worcestershire and its borders, Trans Worcs Archaeol Soc, 29, 33-37.

Montgomerie, D.H. 1924. Ancient earthworks, Victoria County History, Worcestershire.

Pevsner, N. 1968. The Buildings of England: Worcestershire, 265.

Phillips, W. 1893. Garmsley Camp (near Tenbury), Trans Woolhope Natur Fld Club, 1893, 142-43.



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


Document Version 1.1