Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0088 The Lawley (North End), Shropshire (The Lawley (Lower))

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Shropshire 1256 (None)

NMR:  SO 59 NW 2 (111359)

SM:  108389

NGR:  SO 502986

X:  350290  Y:  298634  (OSGB36)

Summary

Probable, small, contour hillfort located on the very narrow steep razor-edge ridge of The Lawley below the summit of the hill and the The Lawley (summit) (Alas No 0089). An elongated rectangle in shape only some 91m long by 36m at its waist. Fairly strong cross-ridge banks with outer ditch at each end (SW and NE) of the narrow ridge (some 15m-20m wide), with scarping on the flanks largely enhancing the natural slopes of the hill and with a counterscarp at the SW end where, cutting across the outer bank and ditch is an original entrance causeway 2.3m wide. In the NE quarter is a sub-circular hut platform 7.5m in diameter cut into the slope. The site is very exposed, open, unimproved upland grassland. General good condition, undated. On OS map (1937-61).

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -304472  Y:  6906271  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -2.7351167709293813  Latitude:  52.58320379924658  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Shropshire

Historic County:  Shropshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Longnor

Monument Condition

The site is in general good condition.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Upland unimproved acid grassland.

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

Type estimated. The site makes use of the natural slopes of the hill. Located on the narrow steep razor-edge ridge of The Lawley below the summit of the hill and the upper site.

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:  Razor-edge ridge of The Lawley

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

Altitude:  251.0m

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 OS map (1937-61). Shropshire Council survey 2012.

Investigations:
Other (2009):   Visited by Hillfort Study Group
Other (2012):   Shropshire Council survey.
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   OS

Interior Features

Hut platform visible 7.5m in diameter.

Water Source

Stream located downslope 0.2km from the fort.

Source:
None   ✓
Spring   ✗
Stream   ✗
Pool   ✗
Flush   ✗
Well   ✗
Other   ✗

Surface

Hut platform visible 7.5m in diameter.

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

SW entrance causeway across the bank and ditch some 2.3m wide facing towards the ridge top.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   SW entrance causeway across the bank and ditch some 2.3m wide facing towards the ridge top.

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (South west):   Causeway across the cross-bank and ditch.

Enclosing Works

The elongated rectangle is only some 91m long by 36m at its waist. Fairly strong cross-ridge banks with outer ditch at each end (SW and NE) of the narrow ridge (some 15m-20m wide), with scarping on the flanks largely enhancing the natural slopes of the hill and with a counterscarp at the SW end. Cross-ridge banks defends the ends of the site.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.22ha.
Total:   0.22ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Very small site.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   None

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

Possible earthen bank. Counterscarp at E end.

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:
✓   Outer ditch at each end (SW and NE) of the narrow ridge site.

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, 360, 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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