LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Northumberland 1753 (None)
NMR: NT 92 SE 41 (3462)
SM: 1019420
NGR: NT 99788 21932
X: 399788 Y: 621927 (OSGB36)
Lying at 213m OD on a headland 330m to the SE of Middleton Dean. The hillfort of MIddleton Dean or Dod Hill (North) takes advantage of the steep slopes in the N and E, with artificial defences only in the S and W. It is defended by an earth and stone rampart 5m wide and 2.5m high internally and ditch 8 metres wide and 3m deep from the top of the rampart running NW-SE. Oval in form it measures 115m NW-SE by 50m SW-NE enclosing 0.32h although there is evidence for slumping at the base of the cliff and the site was possibly once larger. There are also the remains of an outer bank surviving in places, measuring 2m wide and 0.2m high. A simple causewayed entrance 1.5m wide lies towards the NW end of the rampart. There is no known evidence for occupation contemporary with the hillfort. Later occupation and activity in the medieval or post medieval period comprises 2 shielings, 3 enclosures and ridge and furrow ploughing. A survey by English Heritage in 2003 revealed hut circles and courtyards of a Romano-British settlement consisting of 6 houses and associated yards. This settlement consists of 5 different phases of growth. Two alleged 'outworks' (NT92SE 13) lying to the E and SE of the fort (MacLauchlan 1867) were also inspected during the 2003 survey and reinterpreted as a possible field boundary and a natural feature respectively. Recorded on 1856-65 OS mapping. Scheduled as a promontory fort.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -223185 Y: 7457782 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -2.0049031351973055 Latitude: 55.49117329807393 (EPSG:4326)
Country: England
Current County or Unitary Authority: Northumberland
Historic County: Northumberland
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Ilderton
None
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Satellite imagery appears to show rough grazing and some bracken on the ramparts
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✓ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
A hillslope fort lying at 213m OD on a headland dropping away to the NE
| 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: Headland
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✓ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 213.0m
N/A
Undated, presumed Iron Age with secondary Romano-British occupation
Reliability: D - None
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | Romano-British settlement, medieval-post-medieval shielings, enclosures and rig and furrow |
| Morphology/Earthwork/Typology: | None |
On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900). General reference in MacLauchlan (1867). Field investigations in 1955, 1969 and 1976. The site underwent a detailed analytical survey and reinterpretation in 2003 at the request of the Northumberland National Park Authority. Scheduled
| 1st Identified Written Reference (1867): | None |
| Other (1935): | Scheduled |
| Other (1955): | Field investigation |
| Other (1969): | Field investigation |
| Other (1976): | Field investigation |
| Earthwork Survey (2003): | Discovering our Hillfort Heritage Project |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (None): | OS one-inch |
No known internal features of Iron Age date. Romano-British settlement, medieval-post-medieval shielings, enclosures and rig and furrow
None
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Overlying Late Iron Age or Romano-British settlement enclosure. The character of the round-houses is not specified, but they are likely to be stone founded (SH)
| 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 | ✗ |
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 | ✗ |
Simple causewayed entrance 1.5m wide lies towards the NW end of the rampart
| 1: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North west): | None |
Oval in form measuring 115m NW-SE by 50m SW-NE enclosing 0.32ha. Earth and stone rampart 5m wide and 2.5m high internally and ditch 8m wide and 3m deep from the top of the rampart.
| Area 1: | 0.32ha. |
| Total: | 0.32ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | Internal area approximate, estimated from satellite imagery |
| ✗ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | None |
| SE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SW Quadrant: | 1 |
| NW Quadrant: | 1 |
| Total: | 1 |
| Partial Univallate | ✓ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
None
| 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 |
| ✓ | None |
Number of Ditches: 1
| ✗ | None |
Ainsworth, S. and Hunt A. 2004. An Iron Age hillfort at Middleton Dean, Northumberland. English Heritage Archaeological Investigation Report Series AI\4\2004. Unpublished
MacLauchlan, H. 1867. Additional Notes to Memoir to Roman Roads in Northumberland. 45. Unpublished
Oswald, A. Ainsworth, S. and Pearson, T. 2006 Hillforts: Prehistoric Strongholds of Northumberland National Park. English Heritage
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