LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Somerset 23292 (None)
NMR: ST 65 SW 24 (200816)
SM: 1015493
NGR: ST636500
X: 363600 Y: 150000 (OSGB36)
Multivallate promontory fort cutting off the prominent spur of Blacker's Hill above Mells River in Mendip. Above Blacker's Hill Wood to the W. On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900). Double banks with medial and outer ditch define the moderate NW and NE sides, part of the SE quadrant having a single bank and ditch. Rest of circuit has precipitous slopes on S. N ramparts still impressive, especially to NW up to 4m high with intervening ditch 2m-4m wide. Outer ditch broader and shallower. A 1-2m wide ledge along scarp face 2m below break of slope on SW side suggests that slope was artificially steepened and strengthened. Three gaps may be original entrances, but have been so affected by farm operations that impossible to ascertain exactly without excavation. That to NE most likely. Ramparts much reduced by agriculture and outer ditch to N used as farm track. Geophysical survey (Allen 1998). Undated.
Citizen Science: ✓
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -280851 Y: 6665271 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -2.522926112926232 Latitude: 51.247947834736564 (EPSG:4326)
Country: England
Current County or Unitary Authority: Somerset
Historic County: Somerset
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Chilcompton
Affected by farm operations of Blacker's Hill Farm located immediately to NW of fort boundary. Ploughed out and reduced in places and outer ditch to N used as farm track. Inner bank and ditch also damaged in 19th century and hardly visible in places.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
None
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✓ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Multivallate promontory fort sited on the prominent spur of Blacker's Hill above Mells River in Mendip. Slight slope to SW.
| 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: Spur
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✓ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 220.0m
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). Geophysical survey Bournemouth University School of Conservation Sciences (Allen 1998). LiDar survey Citizen Science information 2014.
| Geophysical Survey (1998): | Bournemouth University School of Conservation Sciences. |
| LiDAR Survey (2014): | Citizen Science information. |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (None): | 1st Ed OS map |
1998 geophysical survey - detail not determined.
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 | ✗ |
1998 geophysical survey - detail not determined.
| 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 | ✗ |
Three gaps may be original entrances, but have been so affected by farm operations (access and field boundary) that it is impossible to ascertain exactly without excavation. That to NE most likely.
| 3: | None |
| 2: | Possible entrances only, as affected and used by farm operations; NE most likely. |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North east): | Probably original. |
| 2. Simple Gap (East): | Possible only. |
| 3. Simple Gap (West): | Possible only. |
Double banks with medial and outer ditch define the moderate NW and NE sides, part of the SE quadrant having a single bank and ditch. The rest of the circuit has precipitous slopes on the S. The N ramparts are still impressive, especially to the NW up to 4m high intervening ditch 2m-4m wide. The outer ditch is broader and shallower. A 1-2m wide ledge along scarp face 2m below break of slope on SW side suggests that the slope was artificially steepened and strengthened.
| Area 1: | 4.6ha. |
| Total: | 4.6ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✗ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SE Quadrant: | 1 |
| 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 | ✗ |
1-2m wide ledge along scarp face 2m below break of slope on SW side.
| 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 |
| ✓ | Medial and outer ditch to N. |
Number of Ditches: 2
| ✗ | None |
Allen E.1998. A geophysical survey of an Iron Age hill fort at Blacker's Hill, Chilcompton, North Somerset. Bournemouth University School of Conservation Sciences [assessment & survey reports].
Burrow, E.J. 1924. Ancient earthworks and camps of Somerset, Cheltenham: E.J. Burrow, 70-71.
Page, W. (ed) 1911. The Victoria County History of the County of Somerset, 2, 487, London: St Catherine Press.
Atlas of Hillforts:
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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