LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: South Gloucestershire 2103 (None)
NMR: ST 78 SE 8 (205141)
SM: 1002486
NGR: ST76108260
X: 376100 Y: 182600 (OSGB36)
Large, impressive, multivallate, contour hillfort, situated on summit of small ridge forming part of W edge of Cotswold plateau, overlooking the wide valley of River Frome. Steep to very steep down escarpment on W, moderate/level elsewhere. Roughly rectangular interior measuring c. 277m long NNE-SSW by 190m, with area 9.48ha. Defined by widely-spaced double rampart and ditch on all except W side, where single rampart and berm above the escarpment, and on E where outer counterscarp bank. Inner rampart, present around circuit, surviving differentially, but to 10m wide and 2.1m high, with ditch to 9m wide and 2.1m deep, except on W, with further berm to 6m wide. Outer rampart present on N, E and S, again surviving differentially, measuring to 17m wide and 3m high with 3.6m wide berm and outer ditch to 13m wide and 3m deep. Interior is crossed by slight bank and ditch, the parish boundary bank. Causewayed entrance is on E side. Part of saddle quern and Roman coins from interior. Medieval ridge and furrow in S. Permanent pasture. Scrub on banks, especially inner circuit, with trees/wood on both banks on W. Survives well. On 1st Ed. OS map (1882). Few investigations. Undated.
Citizen Science: ✓
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -261160 Y: 6717686 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -2.3460398977658725 Latitude: 51.54173859772346 (EPSG:4326)
Country: England; None
Current County or Unitary Authority: South Gloucestershire
Historic County: Gloucestershire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Little Sodbury; Sodbury
Impressive and survives well.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Permanent pasture. Scrub on banks, especially inner circuit, with trees/wood on both banks on W.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✓ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✗ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Large, multivallate, contour hillfort, situated on summit of small ridge forming part of W edge of Cotswold plateau, overlooking the wide valley of River Frome. Steep to very steep down escarpment on W, moderate/level elsewhere.
| 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: Small ridge on plateau edge.
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✓ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 183.0m
Boundary Type: Parish/Townland
None.
Reliability: D - None
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | Eight Roman coins, ranging from Gallienus to Constantius II from interior. Medieval ridge and furrow in S half. |
In Aubrey's Monumenta Britannica (1665-1693). On 1st Ed. OS map (1882). Field investigation 1977 - no details.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1882): | OS map. |
| Excavation (1977): | Field investigation - no details. |
| 1st Identified Written Reference (None): | In Aubrey's Monumenta Britannica. |
Part of saddle quern and Roman coins from interior.
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 | ✗ |
Part of saddle quern and Roman coins from interior.
| 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 | ✗ |
Causewayed entrance is on E side
| 1: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (East): | Causewayed. |
Inner rampart, present around circuit, surviving differentially, but to 10m wide and 2.1m high, with ditch to 9m wide and 2.1m deep, except on W, with further berm to 6m wide. Outer rampart present on N, E and S, again surviving differentially, measuring to 17m wide and 3m high with 3.6m wide berm and outer ditch to 13m wide and 3m deep. Interior is crossed by slight bank and ditch, the parish boundary bank.
| Area 1: | 9.48ha. |
| Total: | 9.48ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SW Quadrant: | 1 |
| NW Quadrant: | 1 |
| Total: | 2 |
| Partial Univallate | ✓ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✓ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
Counterscarp on E.
| 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 |
RCHME 1976. Ancient and Historical Monuments in the County of Gloucester Iron Age and Romano-British Monuments in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds, London: HMSO, 103-4.
Atlas of Hillforts:
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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