Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0561 Castle Knowe Camp, Northumberland (Clinch Castle; Castle Hill)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Northumberland 3193 (None)

NMR:  NU 01 SW 4 (5341)

SM:  1006542

NGR:  NU 03142 14673

X:  403142  Y:  614673  (OSGB36)

Summary

A multivallate hillfort lying partially on the summit of Castle Knowe at 198m OD, 483m SW of Clinch. Oval in plan it measures 60m N-S by 75m E-W with steep slopes in the N and W. it is overlooked by Gibbs Hill (Atlas No. 4349) and West Hill (Atlas No. 0573). Three roughly concentric ramparts have been formed by scarping the natural slopes, enclosing 0.28ha and suggestions of two ditches. The middle and inner ramparts survive up to 2m high externally but only as faint scarps internally. They merge together in the W. The outer rampart stands 2.8m high externally and 0.9m internally in the W. Entrances lie in the E, N and S. Only the eastern entrance with inturned ramparts appears to be original, the other two are created by breaking obliquely through the ramparts. Within the interior seven or more hut circles with diameters of between 3.8 to 6.5m with a larger hut circle 8.5m in diameter near the centre. Four of the hut circles near the top of the knoll are partly rock-cut. Three intercutting huts indicate more than one phase of occupation. Some damage has occurred through quarrying. Shown on 1856-65 OS mapping. Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -217285  Y:  7444983  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -1.9519005661237772  Latitude:  55.42598195684819  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Northumberland

Historic County:  Northumberland

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Ingram

Monument Condition

None

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 the north-westerly slope of Castle Knowe at approximately 198m OD

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:  Castle Knowe

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  198.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

Undated, presumed Iron Age

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:   Quarrying

Evidence:
Morphology/Earthwork/Typology:   None

Investigation History

The site is recorded on 1856-65 OS mapping. General reference in MacLauchlan (1867), Field investigations in 1957, 1969 and 1976. 1988 included in the SE Cheviots Project. Scheduled.

Investigations:
1st Identified Written Reference (1867):   (MacLauchlan 1867)
Other (1934):   Scheduled
Other (1957):   Field investigation
Other (1969):   Field investigation
Other (1976):   Field investigation
Earthwork Survey (1988):   SE Cheviots Project
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   None

Interior Features

Seven or more hut circles with diameters of between 3.8 to 6.5m with a larger hut circle 8.5m in diameter near the centre. Three intercutting huts indicate more than one phase of occupation.

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

Possible entrances lie in the E, N and S although only the eastern entrance with slight in-turned ramparts appears to be original, the other two created later by breaking obliquely through the ramparts.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
9:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
1. In-turned (East):   None
1. In-turned (East):   None
1. In-turned (East):   None

Enclosing Works

Oval in plan it measures 60m N-S by 75m E-W. Three roughly concentric ramparts have been formed by scarping the natural slopes, suggestions of two ditches. The middle and inner ramparts survive up to 2m high externally but only as faint scarps internally. They merge together in the W. The outer rampart stands 2.8m high externally and 0.9m internally in the W.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.28ha.
Total:   0.28ha.

Total Footprint Area:  0.9ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Whole site footprint estimated from satellite imagery

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   3
SE Quadrant:   3
SW Quadrant:   3
NW Quadrant:   3
Total:   3

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:  2

Annex:
✗   None

References

Jobey, G.1965. Hillforts and Settlements in Northumberland. Archaeol Aeliana (4th Series) 43

MacLauchlan, H. 1867. Notes not included in the memoirs already published on Roman roads in Northumberland (London), 55



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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