Summary

Slight univallate hillfort 270m south west of Stoke Hill Farm.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 4 November 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.

This monument includes a slight univallate hillfort situated on the summit of a prominent ridge known as Stoke Hill Camp, overlooking the Exe Valley. The hillfort survives as an oval enclosure measuring up to 216m long by 120m wide internally, defined by a single rampart measuring up to 0.5m high and a partially buried outer ditch which is up to 2.5m deep. There is a simple entrance on the east side. A partial excavation by Ralegh Radford in 1935 produced 1st century AD pottery and some iron slag. A medieval reference to ‘Castrom de Rokysdon’ is linked to this monument.

A Roman signal station surviving south-west of this monument is the subject of a separate scheduling.

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 either a simple gap in the earthwork or an inturned rampart. Slight univallate hillforts are rare nationally, although in Devon they comprise one of the major classes of hillfort. Slight univallate hillforts are important for understanding the transition between Bronze Age and Iron Age communities. Despite reduction in the height of the rampart through cultivation the slight univallate hillfort at Stoke Hill survives comparatively well and will contain important archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, use and landscape context.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
PastScape Monument No: 448195 and 448210

Source: Historic England