LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
Scroll left/right to view further images.
HER: Northumberland 3056 (None)
NMR: NU 01 NW 6 (4941)
SM: 1019933
NGR: NU 0024 1960
X: 400240 Y: 619600 (OSGB36)
Sited 900m to the W of Calder on the W bank of the Harelaw Burn, the remains of a possible cliff-edge fort scheduled as a defended settlement. It occupies the edge of a steep bank above Harelaw Burn commanding good views in the W, S and E, but overlooked in the N by Heddon Hill which lies on the opposite side of the Burn. Naturally defended by steep slopes in the N, it is defined by semi-circular earthworks in the S enclosing 2.8ha. The site is now badly eroded with the inner bank measuring 9m wide and 0.2m high and the medial ditch approximately 6m wide and 0.2m deep. Traces of an outer bank up to 4m wide on the western side is probably the remains of a counterscarp. A suggested entrance 3m wide lies in the S although no causeway has been identified across the ditch. Internally an oval depression 3.5m by 2.5m to the W of the entrance is possibly the remains of a hut circle. Traces of a rectangular hut orientated NW-SE and measuring 4m by 2.5m is probably a later feature. Medieval ridge and furrow ploughing has destroyed part of the defences and encroached within the interior. The site is recorded as 'settlement' on 1978-9 1:10,000 OS mapping and is visible on Google Earth satellite imagery. No further investigation is known and the site remains undated.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Unconfirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -222389 Y: 7453675 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -1.997750764176503 Latitude: 55.470263818814175 (EPSG:4326)
Country: England; None
Current County or Unitary Authority: Northumberland
Historic County: Northumberland
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Ilderton; Roddam, Ingram
The defences can still be traced on Google Earth imagery
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Moorland pasture and bracken
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✓ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✓ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Possible cliff-edge fort lying at 212m OD on the edge of a steep bank above Harelaw Burn.
| 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: Cliff edge above Harelaw Burn
| North | ✓ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 212.0m
Approximately 180m to the S, the boundaries of Roddam and Ilderton and Ingram and Ilderton converge
Boundary Type: Parish/Townland
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: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | Ridge and furrow ploughing |
General reference in Field investigation in 1957, 1970 and 1976. Recorded on 1978-9 OS mapping. The site was mapped in 2003 as part of The Till-Tweed air photo (AP) mapping project
| 1st Identified Written Reference (1927): | Craw 1928, 114 |
| Other (1957): | Field investigation |
| Other (1970): | Field investigation |
| Other (1976): | Field investigation |
| Other (2003): | Till-Tweed mapping project |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (None): | None |
Oval depression 3.5m by 2.5m to the W of the entrance is possibly the remains of a hut circle. Traces of a rectangular hut orientated NW-SE and measuring 4m by 2.5m is probably a later feature.
The site lies between the Harelaw and Roddam Burns
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Oval depression. Rectangular feature, probably later
| 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 | ✗ |
None
| APs Not Checked | ✓ |
| None | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
A suggested entrance 3m wide lies in the S although no causeway has been identified across the ditch.
| 1: | None |
| 2: | Uncertain |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (South): | None |
Possible cliff-edge fort. Naturally defended by steep slopes in the N, it is defined by semi-circular earthworks in the S enclosing 2.8ha. The site is now badly eroded with the inner bank measuring 9m wide and 0.2m high and the medial ditch approximately 6m wide and 0.2m deep. Traces of an outer bank up to 4m wide on the western side is probably the remains of a counterscarp.
| Area 1: | 2.8ha. |
| Total: | 2.8ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✗ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | None |
| SE Quadrant: | 1 |
| 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 | ✗ |
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: 1
| ✗ | None |
Gates, T. and Deegan, A. 2009. Monuments in the Landscape in Passmore, D.G. and Waddington, C. (eds). Managing Archaeological Landscapes in Northumberland. Till-Tweed Studies, Vol 1. Oxbow.
Craw, J. H. 1928. 'Reports of Meetings for 1927'. Hist Berwickshire Natur Club 26 (1926-8), 111-34.
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