LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Norfolk 5747 (None)
NMR: TL 8 8 SE 123 (1010222)
SM: 1017670
NGR: TL 8745 8275
X: 587380 Y: 282810 (OSGB36)
Within Thetford on Castle Hill overlooking the confluence of the Rivers Thet and Little Ouse and the crossing of the Icknield Way. A Norman Motte and Bailey castle re-uses the bi-vallate Iron Age ramparts to the N and NE, it has been shown by excavation in 1962 and 1985-6 (Davies and Gregory 1991; Cushion and Davison 2003) that this was an inland promontory fort utilising a loop in the River Thet around its S side where there were no ramparts, possibly enclosing 7.5ha. Break through the ramparts in the middle to the N as followed by the present path may be an original entrance. On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900). Sporadic Iron Age finds since the 18th century. The 1962 excavations across the ramparts to the NE showed a complex sequence with extensive medieval re-modelling of the Iron Age ramparts and ditches. The original outer ditch appears to have been about 13m wide at the top, 4m deep with a flat bottom, the inner ditch smaller and round-bottomed, the two ramparts consisted of layers of chalk rubble and loam. Excavation in the interior, small amounts in 1962 with larger areas to the S in 1985-6 (with geophysics), show pits, postholes, gullies with Iron Age pottery, other artefacts, human bone and a cremation. Dating is difficult but suggested to be middle Iron Age and perhaps a short duration of occupation.
Citizen Science: ✓
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: 83890 Y: 6874812 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: 0.7535935711005834 Latitude: 52.41115543496788 (EPSG:4326)
Country: England
Current County or Unitary Authority: Norfolk
Historic County: Norfolk
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Thetford
None
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✓ |
None
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✓ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✗ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✓ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Promontory fort on a hilltop overlooking the confluence of the Rivers Thet and Little Ouse, uses a loop in the R. Thet for its S limit.
| 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: on a hilltop overlooking the confluence of the Rivers Thet and Little Ouse.
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 15.0m
N/A
Iron Age pottery from excavation suggests middle Iron Age but dating in Norfolk is difficult. Neolithic and Bronze Age artefacts. Extensive medieval occupation, Motte and Bailey Castle.
Reliability: B - Medium
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✓ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
| Artefactual: | None |
On 1st Ed OS map. Excavations in 1962 (Rainbird Clark) and 1985-5 (all in Davies and Gregory 1991), geophysical survey 1984. Various watching briefs and metal detecting finds since 1984 (HER).
| Excavation (1962): | None |
| Geophysical Survey (1984): | None |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (None): | None |
| Excavation (None): | None |
Excavation in the interior, small amounts in 1962 with larger areas to the S in 1985-6 (with geophysics), show pits, postholes, gullies with Iron Age pottery, other artefacts, human bone and a cremation.
None
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| 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 | ✓ |
NO APPARENT FEATURES
| APs Not Checked | ✓ |
| None | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Break through the ramparts in the middle to the N as followed by the present path may be an original entrance although the ramparts are badly damaged and altered.
| None: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North): | None |
A complex sequence with extensive medieval re-modelling of the two Iron Age ramparts and ditches. The original outer ditch appears to have been about 13m wide at the top, 4m deep with a flat bottom, the inner ditch smaller and round-bottomed, the two ramparts consisted of layers of chalk rubble and loam.
| Area 1: | 7.5ha. |
| Total: | 7.5ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✗ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SE Quadrant: | 0 |
| SW Quadrant: | 0 |
| NW Quadrant: | 2 |
| Total: | 2 |
| 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: 2
| ✗ | None |
Cushion, B. and Davison, A. 2003. Earthworks of Norfolk. E Anglian Archaeol Rep. No. 104, 180-2.
Davies, J. and Gregory, T. 1992. Excavations at Thetford Castle, 1962 and 1985-6, in The Iron Age Forts of Norfolk. E Anglian Archaeol Rep. No. 54, 1-30.
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