LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Somerset 43792 (None)
NMR: ST 02 NE 4 (188200)
SM: 1016498
NGR: ST096282
X: 309600 Y: 128200 (OSGB36)
Fairly large oval contour hillfort located on an isolated flat-topped hill on the E edge of Exmoor. Steep surrounding slopes, precipitous on N, E and NW. There are conflicting thoughts as to whether the site is multivallate or univallate and the fact that the ramparts have been much mutilated, and indeed lost to quarrying on the N, does not assist interpretation. The site is scheduled as multivallate and the banks vary in dimension about the circuit. A rampart, varies in height from c. 2m interior and 10m exterior on the W and 2.5m interior and 6m exterior on the S. To the N quarrying has taken the ramparts whilst to the E hedge banks blur interpretation, but a low 3m wide earthwork is visible. On the S side a flat-bottomed ditch 3m-4m wide has an outer bank (or counterscarp) to 11m high in places. An original inturned S entrance is staggered. Two gaps to the W are modern. Chance finds include weathered and undated human remains; Neolithic flints, two hoards of Roman coins and a red sandstone spindle whorl. The site is devoted to agriculture (barn, gate and troughs within); arable in interior with heavily wooded banks. Minimal investigations. On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900).
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -366351 Y: 6629427 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -3.290988447659483 Latitude: 51.04595599504417 (EPSG:4326)
Country: England
Current County or Unitary Authority: Somerset
Historic County: Somerset
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Wiveliscombe
Site destroyed by quarrying on the N and much mutilated generally. Barn, gate and troughs located within.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✓ |
Wooded banks, arable interior. Quarrying.
| Woodland | ✓ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✗ |
| Arable | ✓ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
Fairly large oval contour hillfort located on an isolated flat-topped hill on the E edge of Exmoor. Steep surrounding slopes, precipitous on N, E and NW.
| Contour Fort | ✓ |
| Partial Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Promontory Fort | ✗ |
| Hillslope Fort | ✗ |
| Level Terrain Fort | ✗ |
| Marsh Fort | ✗ |
| Multiple Enclosure Fort | ✗ |
Isolated steep side hill
| Hilltop | ✓ |
| Coastal Promontory | ✗ |
| Inland Promontory | ✗ |
| Valley Bottom | ✗ |
| Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop | ✗ |
| Ridge | ✗ |
| Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp | ✗ |
| Hillslope | ✗ |
| Lowland | ✗ |
| Spur | ✗ |
Dominant Topographic Feature: Isolated flat-topped hill.
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 162.0m
N/A
Site probably of Iron Age date, but earlier Neolithic and later Roman activity indicated.
Reliability: D - None
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort: | Neolithic chance finds. |
| Post Hillfort: | Roman coin hoards. |
| Artefactual: | Neolithic finds and Roman coin hoards suggest some activity outside the main hillfort occupation date. |
On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900).
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (None): | 1st Ed OS |
None other than stray finds, Neolithic and Roman.
None
| 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 | ✗ |
Chance finds include weathered and undated human remains (three human femora found 1914); Neolithic flints, two hoards of Roman coins in 1711 (chiefly Trajan, Antoninus, Pius, Tacitus, Galliensis) and a red sandstone spindle whorl.
| 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 | ✗ |
An original inturned S entrance is staggered. Two gaps to the W are modern.
| 3: | Two gaps to the W are modern. |
| 2: | Original on S. |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. In-turned (South): | Staggered entrance. |
| 1. Over-lapping (South): | Staggered. |
There are conflicting thoughts as to whether the site is multivallate or univallate and the fact that the ramparts have been much mutilated, and indeed lost to quarrying on the N, does not assist interpretation. A rampart, varying in height from c. 2m interior and 10m exterior on the W and 2.5m interior and 6m exterior on the S. To the N quarrying has taken the ramparts whist to the E hedge banks blur interpretation, but a low 3m wide earthwork is visible. On the S side a flat-bottomed ditch 3m-4m wide has an outer bank (or counterscarp) to 11m high in places.
| Area 1: | 4.1ha. |
| Total: | 4.1ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✗ | Conflicting thoughts as to whether an outer bank visible on the S side is a true rampart or a counterscarp. Its sheer size to 11m high may indicate the former, but the lack of a visible outer ditch suggests the latter interpretation. It is scheduled as multivallate. |
| NE Quadrant: | 0 |
| SE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SW Quadrant: | 2 |
| NW Quadrant: | 0 |
| Total: | 2 |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✓ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
Possible counterscarp or outer bank.
| 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 |
| ✓ | On the S side is a flat-bottomed ditch 3m-4m wide. |
Number of Ditches: 1
| ✗ | None |
Burrow, E.J. 1924. Ancient earthworks and camps of Somerset, Cheltenham: E.J. Burrow, 98-99.
Gray, H.St.G. and Mattingley, H. 1946. A hoard of late Roman coins on Castle Hill, Wiveliscombe, 1946, Proc Somerset Archaeol Natur Hist Soc, 92, 65-7.
Page, W. (ed) 1911. The Victoria County History of the County of Somerset, 2, 505, London: St Catherine Press.
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