Summary

Slight univallate hillfort called Nadbury 305m north west of Camp Barn Farm.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 2 June 2015. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records. As such they do not yet have the full descriptions of their modernised counterparts available. Please contact us if you would like further information.

This monument includes a slight univallate hillfort situated on the summit of a narrow prominent spur which forms part of Edge Hill overlooking the valley of a tributary to the Sor Brook. The hillfort survives as a ‘pear-shaped’ enclosure with a complex western entrance complete with a hollow way which is elsewhere defined by a single rampart bank and largely buried ditch with a partial counterscarp bank. The defences are preserved differentially as earthworks and buried structures, layers and deposits throughout the circuit. To the north the ditch underlies a road and the road surface is excluded from the scheduling but the ground beneath is included. The ramparts are in part fossilised within the current field boundaries and these tend to have scarps beneath them of up to 2m high. The interior is up to 360m long by 243m wide and the hillfort covers a total area of approximately 7ha. In 1983 a trial excavation revealed the dump construction rampart had internal or rear stone revetting. Beneath the rampart was a large pit from an earlier phase and to the rear a second pit cut through the rampart. This second pit indicated subsequent re-modelling and also contained a currency bar. Other finds included bone, pottery and slag and the limited exploration of the interior indicated considerable occupation activity. A further watching brief in 1997-8 provided no significant finds but another in 1999 produced an assemblage of Early Iron Age pottery and worked flints of various dates. A bee hive quern was also found at the hillfort in the 1960s. Aerial photographs have suggested there is a possible annexe to the south east. The northern side has been re-used to form a parish boundary.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Slight univallate hillforts are defined as enclosures of various shapes, generally between 1ha and 10ha in size, situated on or close to hilltops and defined by a single line of earthworks, the scale of which is relatively small. They date to between the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age (eighth - fifth centuries BC), the majority being used for 150 to 200 years prior to their abandonment or reconstruction. Slight univallate hillforts have generally been interpreted as stock enclosures, redistribution centres, places of refuge and permanent settlements. The earthworks generally include a rampart, narrow level berm, external ditch and counterscarp bank, while access to the interior is usually provided by two entrances comprising either simple gaps in the earthwork or an inturned rampart. Postholes revealed by excavation indicate the occasional presence of portal gateways while more elaborate features like overlapping ramparts and outworks are limited to only a few examples. Internal features included timber or stone round houses; large storage pits and hearths; scattered postholes, stakeholes and gullies; and square or rectangular buildings supported by four to six posts, often represented by postholes, and interpreted as raised granaries. Slight univallate hillforts are rare with around 150 examples recorded nationally. Although on a national scale the number is low, in Devon they comprise one of the major classes of hillfort. In other areas where the distribution is relatively dense, for example, Wessex, Sussex, the Cotswolds and the Chilterns, hillforts belonging to a number of different classes occur within the same region. Examples are also recorded in eastern England, the Welsh Marches, central and southern England. They are area and important for understanding the transition between Bronze Age and Iron Age communities. Despite cultivation and road construction the slight univallate hillfort called Nadbury 305m north west of Camp Barn Farm survives comparatively well and will contain further archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, development, longevity, trade, agricultural practices, social organisation, territorial significance, domestic arrangements and overall landscape context.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
PastScape 335146
Warwickshire HER 755

Source: Historic England