Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0465 Fox Covert, Somerset

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Somerset 23860 (None)

NMR:  ST 63 NE 2 (199901)

SM:  1016303

NGR:  ST66653677

X:  366650  Y:  136770  (OSGB36)

Summary

Partial contour fort located at end of steep-sided spur above headwaters of River Alham in Mendip. Very steep slopes on N, S, W, level approach on E. Sited opposite Small Down Camp to N. Simple bank and ditch surrounds site, except where very steep slopes where scarped. Circuit for most part determined by natural contours, except on level E side where slight bank,much reduced by ploughing, and substantial outer ditch (7.5m wide and once 1.8m deep recorded 1875, but now largely in-filled) cut across contours. The remaining defences run at, or just below, spur edge - to N and W scarp, ditch and low counterscarp, to 1m high and 3m wide in places, stopping at W where later quarrying and best on N where ditch 3m wide. S and W sides defined by simple scarping. Two gaps visible on E, one of which might be original entrance but not determined. Quarrying damaged site in places. Minimal investigations. Undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -275849  Y:  6644175  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -2.477996425731642  Latitude:  51.129173147061444  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England; None

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Somerset

Historic County:  Somerset

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Lamyat; Milton Clevedon

Monument Condition

Suggested bowl barrow mound to W interior may be due to quarrying. Old quarry pit at SE corner obliterated defences. To E ditch largely in-filled with building waste. Bank much reduced by ploughing.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Cultivated interior; grassed banks. Quarrying.

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 fort located at the end of steep sided spur above headwaters of River Alham in Mendip.

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:  Steep sided spur.

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

Altitude:  199.0m

Boundary

Boundary Type:  Parish/Townland


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

None

Investigations:No related records

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 gaps visible on E, one of which might be an original simple gap entrance, but not determined

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
2:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   Original entrance on E not determined.

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (East):   Entrance type not determined; possible simple gap.

Enclosing Works

Simple bank and ditch surrounds site, except where very steep slopes where scarped. Circuit for most part determined by natural contours, except on level E side where slight bank,much reduced by ploughing, and substantial outer ditch (7.5m wide and once 1.8m deep recorded 1875, but now largely in-filled) cut across contours. The remaining defences run at, or just below, spur edge - to N and W scarp, ditch and low counterscarp, to 1m high and 3m wide in places, stopping at W where later quarrying and best on N where ditch 3m wide. S and W sides defined by simple scarping.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   3.25ha.
Total:   3.25ha.

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:
✓   Outer ditch on E 7.5m wide and largely infilled.

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

No related records



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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