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HER:  Worcestershire WSM05313 (WSM05313)
NMR:  SO 66 SW5 (112664)
SM:  1002942
NGR:  SO 620618
X:  362042  Y:  261835  (OSGB36)
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.
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed
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
The site is almost destroyed with only vestigal remains extant.
| Extant   | ✓ |
| Cropmark   | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed   | ✓ |
Generally grazed pasture, but near destruction.
| Woodland   | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation   | ✗ |
| Parkland   | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing)   | ✓ |
| Arable   | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken   | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop   | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland   | ✗ |
| Heath   | ✗ |
| Built-up   | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
A (former) hillslope enclosure. Located on steep slopes overlooking the Kyre Brook and the headwaters of the River Frome to the S and W.
| 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:  Hillslope.
| North   | ✗ |
| Northeast   | ✗ |
| East   | ✓ |
| Southeast   | ✗ |
| South   | ✗ |
| Southwest   | ✗ |
| West   | ✗ |
| Northwest   | ✗ |
| Level   | ✗ |
Altitude:  196.0m
N/A
Roman bricks found.
Reliability:  C - Low
| Pre 1200BC   | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC   | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC   | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50   | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400   | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800   | ✗ |
| Post AD800   | ✗ |
| Unknown   | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort:   | None |
| Post Hillfort:   | Possible Roman use. |
| Artefactual:   | Roman bricks found. |
On 1st Ed OS map (1888).
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1888):   | OS map |
None
Stream located 0.1 km outside enclsoure.
| 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   | ✗ |
None
| No Known Excavation   | ✓ |
| Pits   | ✗ |
| Postholes   | ✗ |
| Roundhouses   | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures   | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks   | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
| Nothing Found   | ✗ |
None
| No Known Geophysics   | ✓ |
| Pits   | ✗ |
| Roundhouses   | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures   | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks   | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
| Nothing Found   | ✗ |
Roman bricks
| 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   | ✗ |
Although there are four gaps through the ramparts, only W (in-turned) and E (simple gap) can be said to be original.
| 4:   | Additional midway gap on E modern; N possibly modern |
| 2:   | W and E, possibly original, entrances can be seen |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
| 1. In-turned (West):   | No detail recorded, but probably original. |
| 2. Simple Gap (East):   | No detail recorded, but probably original. |
Strong bank and ditch across W end of narrow ridge, naturally steep slopes and bank protection elsewhere.
| Area 1:   | 3.6ha. |
| Total:   | 3.6ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.
The southern single rampart is destroyed making interpretation difficult.
| ✗   | 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. |
| ✗   | The rampart is nearly destroyed and can only be seen in small sections at the W and E ends of the site. |
| 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
| None   | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank   | ✓ |
| Stone Wall   | ✗ |
| Rubble   | ✗ |
| Wall-walk   | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber   | ✗ |
| Vitrification   | ✗ |
| Other Burning   | ✗ |
| Palisade   | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank   | ✗ |
| Berm   | ✗ |
| Unfinished   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
None
| 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 |
| ✓   | The ditch is nearly gone, with vestigial remains on the N side |
Number of Ditches:  1
| ✗   | None |
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.
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