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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