Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN4244 Turtley, Devon (Roman Camp)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Devon MDV2925 (None)

NMR:  SX 65 NE 39 (None)

SM:  1019325

NGR:  SX692586

X:  269200  Y:  58600  (OSGB36)

Summary

Possible hillslope fort located on N-facing hillside sloping to W towards Glaze valley, at SW end of Yellowberries Copse, W of Higher Turtley. Extensive views to Dartmoor to N. Ovoid in shape, lying along contour aligned NE-SW. Interior measures c. 90m wide by 100m long, with area estimated 0.9ha. Formerly defined by rampart, best on E and N, 8m wide and 0.4m and 1m high, with outer ditch to 10m wide and 0.5m-0.9m deep. Original inturned entrance was on SW, where rampart widened to c. 16m and to 1.2 metres high. Now heavily damaged by ploughing and S side gone, adjoining field ploughed to perimeter, now hedgeline. On SE ditch, c. 2.4m wide, nearly 1m deep, on outer side of a hedge. To N ditch visible as terrace, the outer edge sloping steeply downhill and gone on W, here rampart showing as change of slope. The entrance now lost in a hedge and ploughing of next field. The interior slopes down steeply to NW, with two earthwork terraces running across the site. Rough grass and scrub. On 1st Ed. OS map (1887).

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Unconfirmed

Location

X:  -427726  Y:  6518039  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.8423289672992755  Latitude:  50.41259756699696  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Devon

Historic County:  Devon

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Ugborough

Monument Condition

Much plough damaged and ramparts and ditch lost over large area. Extent of damage substantial. Ditch overlain on E by access track for telecommunications mast. Exact condition not determined. On Heritage at Risk Register 2011.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Rough grass and scrub.

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

Possible hillslope fort located on N-facing hillside sloping to W towards Glaze valley, at SW end of Yellowberries Copse, W of Higher Turtley. Interior slopes steeply to NW.

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:  Hillslope

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  152.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

None.

Reliability:  D - None

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:   Medieval hollow way up hillside from N and passes outside the rampart to NW.

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

On 1st Ed. OS map (1887). Site observation 1997 - no details.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1887):   OS map.
Other (1997):   Site observation - no details.

Interior Features

None.

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

Original inturned entrance on SW, where rampart widened to c. 16m and to 1.2 metres high. Now lost in hedgeline.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
None:   Total breaks not determined due to damage to site.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
1. In-turned (South west):   Now lost in hedgeline.

Enclosing Works

Formerly defined by rampart, best on E and N, 8m wide and 0.4m and 1m high, with outer ditch to 10m wide and 0.5m-0.9m deep. Now heavily damaged by ploughing and S side gone, adjoining field ploughed to perimeter, now hedgeline. On SE ditch, c. 2.4m wide, nearly 1m deep, on outer side of a hedge. To N ditch visible as terrace, the outer edge sloping steeply downhill and gone on W, here rampart showing as change of slope.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.9ha.
Total:   0.9ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   Quadrants estimated. Now lost on S.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
SE Quadrant:   0
SW Quadrant:   0
NW Quadrant:   1
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:
✓   Terrace in places.

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

Wall, J.C. 1906. Ancient Earthworks, In W. Page (ed), The Victoria County History of the County of Devon, Vol I, London: James Street, Haymarket, 612.



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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