Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0514 Curls Walls, Northumberland (Carls Walls)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Northumberland 3399 (None)

NMR:  NU 02 NE 11 (5465)

SM:  None

NGR:  NU 0760 2832

X:  407600  Y:  628320  (OSGB36)

Summary

Lying on a slight rise at 76m OD to the S of the Mill Burn, a multivallate enclosure, probably a hillfort, shown as a cropmark with some surface evidence surviving. It lies to the N of a possible hillfort on Whinny Knowe (Atlas No. 2801) in a field known as Curls Walls. It position is protected by a steep river bank and stream to the N and NE and a bog to the S. It has been described as both univallate (Jobey 1965, 63) and multivallate from aerial interpretation, with up to four ramparts, the innermost of which is best preserved measuring 96m by 56m, although all have been spread by the plough. The remaining ramparts terminate downslope towards the stream and have been plough-levelled. The inner bank has a maximum height of 1.5m with an external ditch 0.3m deep. A possible entrance lies in the NW corner where there is a causeway across the ditch and a lowering of the bank. No internal features are known. The site is shown on 1856-65 OS mapping. It is undated and now overlain by post-medieval ridge and furrow.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Unconfirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -209402  Y:  7469067  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -1.8810938381749454  Latitude:  55.54856046791309  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Northumberland

Historic County:  Northumberland

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Chatton

Monument Condition

Badly damaged

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

None

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

A partial contour fort lying on a slight rise to the S of the Mill Burn at 76m OD. The ground slopes away to the NE

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:  Lying on a slight rise to the S of the Mill Burn

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  76.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

Undated

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:   Ridge and furrow ploughing

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

General reference in MacLauchlan (1864). Recorded as a univallate earthwork on 1856-65 and later OS mapping. Field inspections in 1955 and 1969.

Investigations:
1st Identified Written Reference (1864):   None
Other (1955):   Field investigation
Other (1969):   Field investigation
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   None

Interior Features

No internal features are visible

Water Source

Mill Burn in the N and E is the nearest water supply.

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

A possible entrance lies in the NW corner where there is a causeway across the ditch and a lowering of the bank

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (North west):   inner rampart

Enclosing Works

Described as both univallate (Jobey 1965, 63) and multivallate from aerial interpretation, with up to four ramparts, the innermost of which is best preserved measuring 96m by 56m, although all have been spread by the plough. The remaining ramparts terminate downslope towards the stream and have been plough-levelled. The inner bank has a maximum height of 1.5m and an external ditch 0.3m deep.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.35ha.
Total:   0.35ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   2013 GE imagery appears to show at least two ditches in SE, with the land under plough. Enclosed area estimated from satellite imagery

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   Up to four ramparts based on cropmark evidence

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   None
SE Quadrant:   4
SW Quadrant:   4
NW Quadrant:   4
Total:   4

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

No description of banks given, presumed earthen

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:
✓   The number of ditches is uncertain

Number of Ditches:  2

Annex:
✗   None

References

Gates, T. and Deegan, A. 2009. Monuments in the Landscape in Passmore, D.G. and Waddington, C. (eds). Managing Archaeological Landscapes in Northumberland. Till-Tweed Studies, Vol 1. Oxbow, 125-71.

Jobey, G. 1965. Hill Forts and Settlements in Northumberland, Archaeol Aeliana (4th Series) 43, 63, no. 103

MacLauchlan, H. 1864. Memoir written during a survey of the eastern branch of the Watling Street (London), 33



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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