Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0044 Bulthy Hill, Shropshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Shropshire 2473 (None)

NMR:  SJ 31 SW 24 (1224887)

SM:  None

NGR:  SJ 3135 1370

X:  331359  Y:  313704  (OSGB36)

Summary

Possible hillslope fort with earthworks difficult to interpret, located on the NE slopes of Bulthy Hill to the NW of Middletown Hill and one of the five hillforts of the Breidden Hills sited above the River Severn. Has been called a natural feature, but a possible bank and ditch are visible on aerial photographs on the E side, although difficult to see on the ground apart from a possible break of slope. A possible enhanced gully on the W side may be defences and a slight change of slope to the S may also be defences. The precipitous N appears to have no ramparts. Managed rough grassland and heath. Some erosion. Undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Unconfirmed

Location

X:  -335920  Y:  6930747  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.017619503163405  Latitude:  52.71659637196765  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Shropshire

Historic County:  Shropshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Wollaston

Monument Condition

Open access with some erosion from quad bikes and animals, but defences difficult to interpret.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Managed rough grassland and heath.

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

Possible hillslope fort located on the NE slopes of Bulthy Hill to the NW of Middletown Hill and one of the five hillforts of the Breidden Hills sited above the River Severn.

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:  NE slopes of Bulthy Hill

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  273.0m

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

Air Photograph Interpretation RCHME: Marches Uplands NMP 1993-2000. Field observation Shropshire CC 1991. Shropshire Council survey 2012.

Investigations:
Other (1991):   Field observation Shropshire CC.
Other (2012):   Shropshire Council survey.
Other (None):   Air Photograph Interpretation RCHME: Marches Uplands NMP.

Interior Features

None

Water Source

None

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

A possible bank and ditch are visible on aerial photographs on the E side,

Interior Features (Aerial):
APs Not Checked  
None  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Pits  
Postholes  
Roads/Tracks  
Other  

Entrances

The position of any entrances has not been determned.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
0:   The position of any entrances has not been determined.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   The position of any entrances has not been determined.

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:No related records

Enclosing Works

A possible bank and ditch are visible on aerial photographs on the E side, but difficult to see on the ground apart from a possible break of slope. A possible enhanced gully on the W side may be defences and a slight change of slope to the S may also be defences. The precipitous N appears to have no defences.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   Noneha.
Total:   Noneha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   The enclosed are has yet to be determined.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   The precipitous N appears to have no defences.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   0
SE Quadrant:   1
SW Quadrant:   1
NW Quadrant:   0
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

Defences difficult to interpret.

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:
✓   A ditch is now a buried feature.

Number of Ditches:  1

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.



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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