Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0443 Whitestaunton Camp, Somerset (Horse Pool Copse; Horse Pool Camp; Southay Camp; Harbury; Hamberry; Whitestanton Camp)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Somerset 53259 (None)

NMR:  ST 20 NE 2 (189963)

SM:  1018636

NGR:  ST265090

X:  326500  Y:  109000  (OSGB36)

Summary

Partial contour oval fort, aligned N-S and located on a greensand ridge on the edge of the Blackdown Hills dropping steeply down to the River Yarty on the W. On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900). Overlooked from the E. Dimensions 148m (E-W) and 324m (N-S). Enclosed by bank and external ditch, former varying from 3m high from base of the ditch on the E to 10.7m high on the inner face on the W. The flat-bottomed ditch averages 4.8m in width. On W the natural slope has been scarped outside the ditch to provide additional defence. Passageway entrance on the extreme S, the gap to the E being modern. Smelting refuse. Affected by agriculture. Minimal investigations.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -339087  Y:  6599344  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.046067295885355  Latitude:  50.87574337092373  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Somerset

Historic County:  Somerset

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Whitestaunton

Monument Condition

Affected by agricultural operations, especially the S entrance and infilling of S ditch. Dutch barn,troughs and gate adjacent to ditch on NE.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

W rampart planted with conifers.

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

Partial contour oval fort located on a greensand ridge on the edge of the Blackdown Hills dropping steeply down to the River Yarty on the W.

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:  Greensand ridge.

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

Altitude:  200.0m

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).

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   1st Ed OS

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

Two entrances, that to S original passageway 9m wide.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
2:   E gap modern.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Passage-way/Corridor (South):   9m wide passageway.

Enclosing Works

Enclosed by bank and external ditch, former varying from 3m high from base of the ditch on the E to 10.7m high on the inner face on the W. The ditch is flat-bottomed an averages 4.8m in width. On W the natural slope has been scarped outside the ditch to provide additional defence.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   2.0ha.
Total:   2.0ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

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

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:
✓   None

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   Possible annexe to N diiscounted.

References

Burrow, E.J. 1924. Ancient earthworks and camps of Somerset, Cheltenham: E.J. Burrow, 96-97.

Page, W. (ed) 1911. The Victoria County History of the County of Somerset, 2, 503, London: St Catherine Press.



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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