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HER:  Hertfordshire 7916 (None)
NMR:  TL 1 1 SW 17 (362230)
SM:  None
NGR:  TL 100 145
X:  510078  Y:  214552  (OSGB36)
Aerial photographs have shown a possible oppidum N of Redbourn, east of Friar's Walsh. A large enclosed area together with a large multi-period site with triple earthworks and two Roman temples, the ditches run NE-SW and cross the river Ver, approximate length 220m but also visible continuing into the field to NE. There is another probable multiple ditch system 75m to the north. Evaluation in 2008 included geophysics and a trench from the adjacent pair of Roman temples across two of the triple ditches, to ascertain their relationship, but the result was unclear and there was no helpful dating evidence (Wood 2008; Birbeck 2009). Two ditches were substantial, 8.5m wide and 1.6m deep with a V profile; 'a small assemblage of Romano-British tile fragments recovered from the secondary fill suggest that it was broadly contemporaneous with the temple complex'. There were no finds in the lower fills, they may be late Iron Age, indications of ritual feasting nearby which may predate the temple complex. Included here as a possible oppidum.
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Unconfirmed
X:  -45015  Y:  6767413  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -0.40437318819214113  Latitude:  51.818716304127555  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  England
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Hertfordshire
Historic County:  Bedfordshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Harpenden Rural
N/A as not a hillfort
| 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   | ✗ |
N/A as not a hillfort
| 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:  None
| North   | ✗ |
| Northeast   | ✗ |
| East   | ✗ |
| Southeast   | ✗ |
| South   | ✗ |
| Southwest   | ✗ |
| West   | ✗ |
| Northwest   | ✗ |
| Level   | ✗ |
Altitude:  Nonem
N/A
N/A as not a hillfort
Reliability:  None
| Pre 1200BC   | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC   | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC   | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50   | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400   | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800   | ✗ |
| Post AD800   | ✗ |
| Unknown   | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort:   | None |
| Post Hillfort:   | None |
N/A as not a hillfort
N/A as not a hillfort
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   | ✗ |
N/A as not a hillfort
| None:   | None |
| 2:   | None |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
N/A as not a hillfort
| Area 1:   | Noneha. |
| Total:   | Noneha. |
Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.
None
| ✗   | None |
| ✗   | None |
| NE Quadrant:   | None |
| SE Quadrant:   | None |
| SW Quadrant:   | None |
| NW Quadrant:   | None |
| Total:   | None |
| 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:  None
| ✗   | None |
Birbeck, V. 2009. Friars Wash, Redbourn, Herts: archaeological evaluation and assessment of results. field evaluation. RNO 2345, unpublished.
Havercroft, A. 1977. Archives of air photographs - the collections of the Verulamium Museum, Aerial Archaeol 3, 40-44. Pl.XX, 43
Niblett, R. 1995. An archaeological assessment of the Harpenden area. RNO 78 fig 5, unpublished.
Wood, E. 2008. Geophysical survey report, Friar's Wash, RNO 2346, unpublished.
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