Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0020 Haffield Camp, Herefordshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Herefordshire MHE1127 (3711)

NMR:  SO 73 SW 10 (113612)

SM:  None

NGR:  SO 723339

X:  372320  Y:  233940  (OSGB36)

Summary

Small, univallate, contour hillfort on the NW angle of Haffield Park. Isolated and unscheduled wooded this oval hillfort lies on top of a hill above the River Leadon. Internal area c. 1.6ha. Defences show only as a scarp on the slope of the hill, except on the E and SE sides where the ground falls sharply away. Thus, scarping and artificial strengthening of the natural hillside, with possible palisade, define the site. Single entrance to the W, that to the NE corner possibly later. In fairly good condition, although tree overgrown. Undated. On 1st Ed OS map (1888).

Status

Citizen Science:  ✓

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -267685  Y:  6800697  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -2.4046519598001646  Latitude:  52.00316354709992  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Herefordshire

Historic County:  Herefordshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Donnington

Monument Condition

Wooded overgrown site within an area of managed woodland of Haffield Park, but generally improving in condition. There have been issues relating to harvesting and management in the past. There are public footpaths nearby.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Within managed broadleaved woodland.

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

Site generally follows the contours on ridge top. Isolated wooded site located on a hill above the River Leadon.

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:  Ridge top knoll.

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

Altitude:  90.0m

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 Council survey 2012.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1888):   OS map
Other (2012):   Herefordshire Council survey

Interior Features

Lack of investigation and tree growth inhibits comment.

Water Source

Spring located 0.2 km outside the fort.

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

W simple gap entrance original, that on the NE corner possibly later. The path to the site runs through the former.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
2:   NE corner entrance possibly later.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   W entrance probably original.

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (West):   Simple gap W entrance probably original.

Enclosing Works

Defences show only as a scarp on the slope of the hill, except on the E and SE sides where the ground falls sharply away. Thus, scarping and artificial strengthening of the natural hillside, with possible palisade, define the site.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   1.6ha.
Total:   1.6ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Defences seen only as a scarp enclosing the hill. Poor nature of the defences makes interpretation difficult, but not impossible.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   Although only seen as a scarp, defences enclose the hill.

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

Possible palisade.

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 recorded, but could be a buried feature.

Number of Ditches:  0

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, 209, London: St Catherine Press.

RCHME 1932. An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Herefordshire, 2 (E), 69, 10, 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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