Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0030 Risbury Camp, Herefordshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Herefordshire MHE906 (2221)

NMR:  SO 55 NW 2 (110662)

SM:  1001749

NGR:  SO 542553

X:  354200  Y:  255300  (OSGB36)

Summary

Large, multivallate, contour hillfort located on a small flat-topped knoll on very moderate slopes at the confluence of Holly and Humber Brooks and above the confluence of the Rivers Lugg and Arrow. Internal area 3.4ha and footprint 11.3ha. Widely-spaced ramparts on the E side may be later cultivation terraces or lynchets. On the W the rampart is a dry-built stone wall faced externally. Roman pottery found. The site is in fairly good condition and has been cultivated as an orchard for many years. Now part of management agreements which should assist in the preservation of the site and alleviate problems. Undated. On 1st Ed OS map 1886.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -297387  Y:  6835278  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -2.671475921968273  Latitude:  52.19398998608534  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Herefordshire

Historic County:  Herefordshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Humber

Monument Condition

In fairly good condition despite the trees. Now part of management agreements which should assist in the preservation of the site and alleviate problems.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Wooded ramparts. The interior is part orchard and has been so for many years.

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 follows the contours. Located at the confluence of Holly and Humber Brooks.

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:  Interesting location on the edge of Holly Brook on small flat-topped knoll, possibly artificially levelled.

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

Altitude:  120.0m

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:   Roman pottery found.

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

On 1st Ed OS map 1886. Herefordshire Council survey 2012.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1886):   OS map.
Other (1968):   Visit by Hillfort Study Group
Other (2012):   Herefordshire Council survey.

Interior Features

Roman pottery.

Water Source

Located on the edge of Holly Brook.

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 pottery.

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

Two entrances, one original on the W side, slightly inturned and with a protected approach.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
2:   E entrance possibly modern.

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

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. In-turned (West):   Slight inturned and protected approach on the W side.

Enclosing Works

Widely-spaced ramparts on the E side may be later cultivation terraces or lynchets. On the W the rampart is a dry-built stone wall faced externally - could be conjecture here.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   3.4ha.
Total:   3.4ha.

Total Footprint Area:  11.3ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Widely spaced ramparts.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   Widely-spaced ramparts on E side may be problematical.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   3
SE Quadrant:   3
SW Quadrant:   2
NW Quadrant:   2
Total:   3

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

On W the rampart is a dry-built stone wall faced externally.

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:
✗   There appears to be no ditches visible.

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, 213-14, London: St Catherine Press.

RCHME 1931-34. An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Herefordshire, 3, (NW), 73-4, 8, 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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