LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Shropshire 154 (None)
NMR: SO 38 NE 7 (107006)
SM: 102170
NGR: SO36998794
X: 336990 Y: 287940 (OSGB36)
Located on moderate slopes above the River Onny and valleys to the N where the Onny valley opens out into the lower lying valley of the Camlad/Onny headwaters. Also at the confluence of the East and West Onny's in an area of prominent hillforts. Enclosed by a rampart, ditch and counterscarp, some 200m by 120m, with internal area 1.72ha. Rampart is ploughed down to c. 1m above interior and 5m to the bottom of the ditch, with the counterscarp rising to 1.2m above the ditch. The E and far S sides only have a scarp slope in evidence. A break of slope along the top of the rampart to the N and W could either be later 20th century ploughing, the remnants of a post-medieval hedge bank or possibly a late phase of the defences. The entrance to the NE, next to a steep natural slope, is probably original, as is that to the W, though widened. Some chance finds of Samian ware fragments and black ware found before 1958. The rampart edge to the N and E and outside the fort under long term woodland. History of ploughing, but interior and elsewhere now under permanent pasture.The site is under management agreements and its condition is improving. On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900).
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -326094 Y: 6888426 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -2.929355316631613 Latitude: 52.485695764175176 (EPSG:4326)
Country: England
Current County or Unitary Authority: Shropshire
Historic County: Shropshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Lydbury North
Since the 1980's the cultivated interior and fields to the S and N have been managed under permanent pasture and management agreements, with scrub and tree growth clearance.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
The rampart edge to the N and E and outside the fort under long term woodland. History of ploughing but interior and elsewhere now under permanent pasture.
| Woodland | ✓ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Located on hill top above the River Onny and valleys to the N where the Onny valley opens out into the lower lying valley of the Camlad/Onny headwaters. Also at the confluence of the East and West Onny's in an area of prominent hillforts.
| 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: Hill top.
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 277.0m
N/A
Chance finds of small fragments of Samian ware and black ware found before 1958 suggest some Romano-British or Roman activity. Otherwise the site is probably of late Iron Age date, but this is conjecture.
Reliability: C - Low
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✓ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✓ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
| Artefactual: | Chance finds of small fragments of Samian ware and black ware found before 1958 suggest some Romano-British or Roman activity. |
| Morphology/Earthwork/Typology: | The site is probably of late Iron Age date, but this is conjecture. |
On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900). Field observation Ordnance Survey 1974. Field observation Shropshire CC 1981. Field observation English Heritage 1985. Air Photograph Interpretation RCHME: Marches Uplands NMP 1993-2000. Shropshire Council survey 2012.
| Other (1974): | Field observation OS. |
| Other (1981): | Field observation Shropshire CC. |
| Other (1985): | Field observation EH. |
| Other (2012): | Shropshire Council survey. |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (None): | OS map. |
| Other (None): | Air Photograph Interpretation RCHME: Marches Uplands NMP. |
Chance finds of small fragments of Samian ware and black ware found before 1958.
Spring located 0.3 km outside the fort.
| 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 | ✗ |
Chance finds of small fragments of Samian ware and black ware found before 1958.
| 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 | ✗ |
The entrance to the NE, a simple gap, next to a steep natural slope, is probably original, as is that to the W, though widened.
| 2: | No modern gaps recorded. |
| 2: | The entrance to the NE, next to a steep natural slope, is probably original, as is that to the W, though widened. |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North east): | The entrance to the NE, next to a steep natural slope, is probably original, |
| 2. Simple Gap (West): | A probable original entrance, its form unclear. |
Enclosed by a rampart, ditch and counterscarp some 200m by 120m. the rampart is ploughed down to c. 1m above interior and 5m to the bottom of the ditch, with the counterscarp rising to 1.2m above the ditch. The E and far S sides only have a scarp slope in evidence. A break of slope along the top of the rampart to the N and W could either be later 20th century ploughing, the remnants of a post-medieval hedge bank or possibly a late phase of the defences.
| Area 1: | 1.72ha. |
| Total: | 1.72ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
The far S and E sides have only a scarp slope. The remainder a bank to 1m above the interior.
| ✗ | None |
| ✗ | The far S and E sides have only a scarp slope. |
| NE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SE Quadrant: | 0 |
| 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 | ✗ |
Possible earthen bank with counterscarp.
| 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 |
| ✓ | Ditch visible on the NW, NE and SW quarters. |
Number of Ditches: 1
| ✗ | None |
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. Victoria County History of Shropshire, 1, 375, Institute of Historical Research.
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