Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN2413 Narborough Camp, Norfolk (Camphill)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Norfolk 3975 (None)

NMR:  TF 7 1 SE 14 (357158)

SM:  1004035

NGR:  TF 7514 1308

X:  575130  Y:  313090  (OSGB36)

Summary

Located to the E of Narborough on a low plateau overlooking valley of River Nar where the Icknield Way crosses, on 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900). A sub-ovoid enclosure measuring some 160.0m E-W by 150.0m N-S, enclosing 1.6ha. A single rampart 3.0m in height internally and 3.6m externally, built from chalk rubble, and a wide outer defensive ditch only visible in the N and E quadrants. The banks are made of chalk rubble, the W part of the rampart has been levelled, perhaps between 1810 and 1832. There is a causeway across the ditch to the SE, probably an original entrance. Very few finds have been recorded but surface finds of Iron Age pottery plus the site morphology suggest an Iron Age date. Also, Roman and medieval pot and prehistoric worked and burnt flints have been recovered. An earthwork survey in 1988 (Rickett 1991). Suggested 'Dark Age' or Early Medieval modifications based on the strategic relationship between the Early Medieval dyke (the Bichamditch) and this site. There are also undated inhumations associated with the site.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  65640  Y:  6925338  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  0.5896565518961677  Latitude:  52.687152831821685  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Norfolk

Historic County:  Norfolk

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Narborough

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

Partial contour fort on a low plateau overlooking the valley of the River Nar

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:  Overlooking the valley of the River Nar

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

Altitude:  15.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

Surface finds of Iron Age pottery plus site morphology suggest and Iron Age date. Also, Roman and medieval pot and prehistoric worked and burnt flints have been recovered.

Reliability:  C - Low

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

1st Ed OS map (1885-1900). Earthwork survey 1988 (Rickett 1991).

Investigations:
Earthwork Survey (1988):   None
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   None

Interior Features

No evidence interior activity or features. Surface finds of Iron Age, Roman and medieval pottery plus flints.

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 original entrance suggested by a causeway across the ditch at the SE, modern breaks to N and SW

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
3:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (South east):   None

Enclosing Works

A single rampart 3.0m in height internally and 3.6m externally, built from chalk rubble, and a wide outer defensive ditch only visible in the N and E quadrants. The banks are made of chalk rubble.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   1.6ha.
Total:   1.6ha.

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:   None
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:
✓   None

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

Rickett, R. 1991. The other forts of Norfolk, in The Iron Age forts of Norfolk, E Anglian Archaeol Rep. No. 54, 66-8.



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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