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HER:  Nottinghamshire 2757 (None)
NMR:  SK 65 NW 2 (320231)
SM:  1003483
NGR:  SK 6314 5512
X:  463141  Y:  355120  (OSGB36)
To the W of Combs Farm, the remains of a univallate hillfort of 1.4ha originally recorded as a promontory fort (Stevenson 1906). It lies in a commanding position at 96m OD with good visibility in all directions. It survives as curving earthwork banks which extend for 120m to the SW of the hillfort. A ditch has been identified at the western extent and a scarped bank in the S. Linear depressions seen on aerial photographs in a field to the W could be the remains of outer ditches. The site was surveyed by Hayman Rooke in 1785, at which time a curving ditch of approximately 37m to the N was already partly ploughed out. This can no longer be identified and is not recorded on OS mapping. A section through the ditch in 1961-2 identified two separate charcoal layers (Simmons 1963). A deliberately cut slot 0.6m wide was also discovered which has been interpreted as a cleaning slot. A 23cm high revetment stone was discovered at the lowest point of the bank. A flint scraper and knife were recovered but could not be dated. The site has suffered damage from ploughing and other activities including being a depository for silage and farm refuse and a barn has been constructed in the NE corner of the site. Finds reported by Rooke comprising a defaced brass coin, Roman brick and tile, several 'Roman' weapons and two small 'copper' battle axes discovered 0.6m deep in a bed of ashes have not been located and their classification as Roman is unverified. The cropmarks of two possible conjoined enclosures to the W of the site were noted on aerial photographs taken in 2001 which were possibly precursors to the hillfort. Recorded on 1885-1900 OS mapping. The site is undated.
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed
X:  -117849  Y:  6999579  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -1.058652038921487  Latitude:  53.089549103868215  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  England
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Nottinghamshire
Historic County:  Nottinghamshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Farnsfield
Destroyed in places, but surviving as cropmarks in the W and earthworks in the SW. A road cuts through the defences in the S
| 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   | ✗ |
A univallate contour fort lying at 96m OD on an inland promontory.
| 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:  Inland promontory
| North   | ✗ |
| Northeast   | ✗ |
| East   | ✗ |
| Southeast   | ✗ |
| South   | ✗ |
| Southwest   | ✗ |
| West   | ✗ |
| Northwest   | ✗ |
| Level   | ✓ |
Altitude:  96.0m
N/A
The site is undated
Reliability:  D - None
| Pre 1200BC   | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC   | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC   | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50   | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400   | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800   | ✗ |
| Post AD800   | ✗ |
| Unknown   | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort:   | Conjoined enclosures said to pre-date the hillfort |
| Post Hillfort:   | Pottery and brick, possible Roman finds would suggest some later activity on the site. Trig point |
| Artefactual:   | Finds said to be Roman recovered in the 18th century, but unverified |
Surveyed by Rooke in 1785. Recorded on 1883-5 1:2,500 OS mapping; Excavated in 1961-2 by Mansfield Archaeological Society. Field investigation in 1974. Scheduled
| 1st Identified Written Reference (1785):   | None |
| Other (1955):   | Scheduled |
| Other (1974):   | Field investigation |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   | None |
| Excavation (None):   | None |
No internal features are known. Pottery, metal and lithics recovered.
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   | ✗ |
Ramparts only excavated
| 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   | ✗ |
The location of entrances is unknown
| None:   | Unknown |
| 2:   | Unknown |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
Survives as curving earthwork banks which extend for 120m to the SW of the hillfort. A ditch has been identified at the western extent and a scarped bank in the S. Linear depressions seen on aerial photographs in a field to the W could be the remains of outer ditches. A curving ditch of approximately 37m was identified to the N (Rooke 1785). This can no longer be identified.
| Area 1:   | 1.4ha. |
| Total:   | 1.4ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.
None
| ✗   | The area is defined by the extent of the promontory |
| ✗   | None |
| NE Quadrant:   | None |
| SE Quadrant:   | None |
| SW Quadrant:   | 1 |
| NW Quadrant:   | None |
| Total:   | 1 |
| Partial Univallate   | ✓ |
| Univallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Unknown   | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate   | ✗ |
| Univallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Multivallate   | ✗ |
Scarped bank in S
| 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 |
| ✓   | Described by Rooke (1785) but can no longer be seen |
Number of Ditches:  1
| ✗   | None |
Rooke H. 1789. Letter. Archaeologia. 9, 200
Simmons, B.B. 1963. Iron Age Hill Forts in Nottinghamshire. Trans Thoroton Soc Nottinghamshire. LXVII 9-13, 15.
Stevenson, W. 1906. Victoria County History, Nottinghamshire, Vol 1, 290-1.
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