Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0045 Burf Castle, Shropshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Shropshire 1259 (None)

NMR:  SO 79 SE 7 (114602)

SM:  None

NGR:  SO 7628 9086

X:  376282  Y:  290862  (OSGB36)

Summary

Possible contour hillfort occupying one of highest points of the former medieval Mogg Forest, but on a low hill with very indefinite defences. Although could be an enclosure associated with a medieval hunting lodge, it does have very early hillfort credentials and could possibly have been abandoned. Defined by scarp slope c. 1.6m high, with steep natural slope on the SW. The NW end encloses a natural knoll and here there are traces of an external ditch. The apparent ditch to the SE could be a natural gully. Fort planted with conifers in the first half of the last century, but these have now been cleared with subsequent scrub and bracken regeneration, although plantation surrounds the site. Now the subject of National Trust management. Undated. On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900).

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Unconfirmed

Location

X:  -261707  Y:  6893802  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -2.3509534191636234  Latitude:  52.51509439419661  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Shropshire

Historic County:  Shropshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Claverley

Monument Condition

Indefinite defences, with scarp and traces of ditch. The site is the subject of National Trust management.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

The site was planted with conifers in the first half of the last century but these have now been cleared with subsequent heath, scrub and bracken regeneration. Plantation surrounds the site.

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. Occupying one of the highest points in the former medieval Mogg Forest, but on a low hill.

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:  Low hill in Mogg Forest.

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

Altitude:  125.0m

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 (1885-1900). Field observation Ordnance Survey 1979. Field observation Shropshire CC 1976, 1977. Air Photograph Interpretation RCHME: Marches Uplands NMP 1993-2000. Shropshire Council survey 2012.

Investigations:
Other (1976):   Field observation OS.
Other (2012):   Shropshire Council survey.
Other (None):   Field observation Shropshire CC.
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   1st Ed OS
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

None

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

Entrances

Traces of an apparent inturned entrance at the SE end. No modern gaps recorded.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   No modern gaps recorded.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   Traces of an apparent inturned entrance at the SE end.

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. In-turned (South east):   Traces of an apparent inturned entrance.

Enclosing Works

Defined by a scarp slope around 1.6m high, with a steep natural slope on the SW. The NW end encloses a natural knoll and here there are races of an external ditch. The apparent ditch to the SE could be a natural gully.

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

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Enclosed area not determined.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   Indefinite defences pose interpretation problems.

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

None

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:
✓   Traces of an external ditch to the NW. The apparent ditch to the SE could be a natural gully.

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.

Page, W. ed. 1908. Victoria County History of Shropshire, 1, 380, Institute of Historical Research.



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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