Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0057 Castle Ring, Horderley, Shropshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Shropshire 173 (None)

NMR:  SO 48 NW 8 (108915)

SM:  1013511

NGR:  SO 401869

X:  340125  Y:  286878  (OSGB36)

Summary

Small inland promontory fort, Castle Ring often referred to as defended Iron Age farmstead, but, despite it small size, occupies strong defensive position, with substantial defences on marked Ridgeway Hill above, and SW of, bend of River Onny at the edge of Plowden Woods and in an area of prominent hillforts. The site is roughly triangular in shape measuring 74m by 60m, with internal area c. 0.1ha. Maximum use made of the natural topography with minimum use made of artificial defences. To the W and NW are precipitous slopes, requiring no defence, whilst on the lesser slopes of the NE and SE are substantial earthworks sited roughly at right-angles to each other. The N rampart is better preserved and rises to 2m on its outer face; that to the S being ploughed-down and dispersed and rising to only 0.5m. The ditches are now only traces in places, most being now buried features. Gaps on the NW and SW may possibly be original entrances, the latter more difficult to interpret. Most of the site is down to arable cultivation. Undated. On 1st Ed. OS map (1885-1900).

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Unconfirmed

Location

X:  -320934  Y:  6886746  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -2.8830027842652797  Latitude:  52.47650296316978  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Shropshire

Historic County:  Shropshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Edgton

Monument Condition

The S rampart has been ploughed-down and dispersed.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

In arable cultivation.

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

Inland promontory fort, Castle Ring often referred to as defended Iron Age farmstead, but, despite it small size, occupies strong defensive position, with substantial defences on marked Ridgeway Hill above, and SW of, bend of River Onny at the edge of Plowden Woods and in an area of prominent hillforts.

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:  Marked promontory above the River Onny.

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

Altitude:  230.0m

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 1972. Field observarion English Heritage 1981, 1986. Air Photograph Interpretation RCHME: Marches Uplands NMP 1993-2000.

Investigations:
Other (1972):   Field observation OS.
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   1st Ed OS.
Other (None):   Field observation EH.
Other (None):   Air Photograph Interpretation RCHME: Marches Uplands NMP.

Interior Features

None

Water Source

River Onny located 0.4km 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

Two possible entrances, both simple gaps now. That on the NW is possibly where the N rampart arm stops 6m short of the W natural slope edge. That to the SW where the S rampart stops short of the SW natural slope edge.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
2:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   Gaps on the NW and SW may possibly be original entrances, the latter more difficult to interpret.

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (North west):   Possible.
2. Simple Gap (South west):   Possible.

Enclosing Works

The site is roughly triangular in shape measuring 74m by 60m, maximum use made of the natural topography with minimum use made of artificial defences. To the W and NW are precipitous slopes, requiring no defence, whilst on the lesser slopes of the NE and SE are substantial earthworks sited roughly at right-angles to each other. The N rampart is better preserved and rises to 2m on its outer face; that to the S being ploughed-down and dispersed and rising to only 0.5m. The ditches are now only traces in places, most being now buried features.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.1ha.
Total:   0.1ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   The W and NW sides are precipitous natural slopes.

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

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:
✓   The ditches are now only traces in places, most being now buried features.

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

Page, W. ed. Salop 1908. Victoria County History of Shropshire, 1, 355-56, 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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