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HER:  Shropshire 744 (None)
NMR:  SO 28 NE 3 (105248)
SM:  1021279
NGR:  SO 256862
X:  325626  Y:  286200  (OSGB36)
Small, inland promontory fort cutting off a small sloping spur on gentle SE facing slopes between two dingles above the River Unk and with commanding views to the S and SE. Two weak banks have a medial and outer ditch facing W uphill and have the appearance of a small cross ridge dyke. The outer ditch is almost buried and the medial ditch now only 0.3m deep, although 4m-5m wide. The original entrance was probably at the N end between the bank and the natural slope. There are no visible interior features. A ridge and furrow adjoins the site and the outer bank may be enhanced by this. The site was only scheduled in 2004. Pasture. Undated. On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900).
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed
X:  -344677  Y:  6885306  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -3.096287363010694  Latitude:  52.46862310098139  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  England
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Shropshire
Historic County:  Shropshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Mainstone
Some stock erosion at E end and NW corner of N rampart.
| Extant   | ✓ |
| Cropmark   | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed   | ✗ |
Pasture.
| Woodland   | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation   | ✗ |
| Parkland   | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing)   | ✓ |
| Arable   | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken   | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop   | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland   | ✗ |
| Heath   | ✗ |
| Built-up   | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
Small inland promontory fort on gentle SE facing slope. Cuts off a small sloping spur on gentle SE facing slopes between two dingles above the River Unk and with commanding views to the S and SE.
| 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:  Sloping spur.
| North   | ✗ |
| Northeast   | ✗ |
| East   | ✗ |
| Southeast   | ✓ |
| South   | ✗ |
| Southwest   | ✗ |
| West   | ✗ |
| Northwest   | ✗ |
| Level   | ✗ |
Altitude:  380.0m
N/A
None
Reliability:  D - None
| Pre 1200BC   | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC   | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC   | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50   | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400   | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800   | ✗ |
| Post AD800   | ✗ |
| Unknown   | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort:   | None |
| Post Hillfort:   | None |
On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900). Field observation Ordnance Survey 1973. Field observation Shropshire CC 1981. Shropshire Council survey 2012. Air Photograph Interpretation RCHME: Marches Uplands NMP 1993-2000.
| Other (1973):   | Field observation OS. |
| Other (1981):   | Field observation Shropshire CC. |
| Other (2012):   | Shropshire Council survey. |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   | 1st Ed OS |
| Other (None):   | Air Photograph Interpretation RCHME: Marches Uplands NMP. |
None
Stream located 0.1km 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   | ✗ |
None
| 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 original entrance was probably at the N end between the bank and the natural slope, a simple gap. There are no visible modern gaps.
| 1:   | There are no visible modern gaps. |
| 2:   | The original entrance was probably at the N end between the bank and the natural slope. |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North):   | The original entrance was probably at the N end between the bank and the natural slope. |
Two weak banks have a medial and outer ditch facing W uphill and have the appearance of a small cross ridge dyke. The outer ditch is almost buried and the medial ditch now only 0.3m deep, although 4m-5m wide.
| Area 1:   | 0.27ha. |
| Total:   | 0.27ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.
Two weak banks have a medial and outer ditch facing W uphill and have the appearance of a small cross ridge dyke.
| ✗   | None |
| ✗   | None |
| NE Quadrant:   | 0 |
| SE Quadrant:   | 0 |
| SW Quadrant:   | 0 |
| NW Quadrant:   | 2 |
| Total:   | 2 |
| Partial Univallate   | ✗ |
| Univallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate   | ✓ |
| Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Unknown   | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate   | ✗ |
| Univallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Multivallate   | ✗ |
None
| 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 |
| ✓   | The outer ditch is almost buried and the medial ditch now only 0.3m deep, although 4m-5m wide. |
Number of Ditches:  2
| ✗   | 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, 356, 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