Summary

Promontory fort known as Conderton Camp, 470m SSW of Shalden Farm.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 21 May 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 promontory fort containing ring ditches and pits situated on a steep escarpment on the south west side of Bredon Hill, overlooking the River Avon. The monument survives as a multivalate fort, together with a watch tower and buried internal ring ditches and stone lined pits known from excavations. The earliest phase of the fort is the most substantial and is denoted by a bank and external quarry ditch with an additional counterscarp bank on the eastern and western sides. The enclosure is sub rectangular in plan with a wide north eastern boundary narrowing down with the escarpment to the south west. The bank encloses an area approximately 180m by 86m with entrance gaps at the north eastern and south western ends. In a subsequent phase the earlier earthworks were remodelled and strengthened and the southern entrance gap was blocked. A smaller enclosed area approximately 100m by 80m was constructed inside the earlier enclosure. This addition is sub rectangular with a large bank surrounding the north, east and western sides and a bank and stone wall across the south western end. The bank is bordered by an external quarry ditch up to 7m wide with an inturned entrance gap at the north eastern end. In a later part of this phase the north eastern inturned entrance was blocked and a watch tower structure was erected on the bank at the eastern side. In the eastern side of the fort a tightly packed row of about ten ring ditches represent the site of round houses. On the western side is a grouping of approximately 140 stone lined pits. The monument was partially excavated during 1958 and 1959 and prehistoric and Roman artefacts were discovered.

Tradition maintains that this fort was suddenly abandoned in advance of a Belgic invasion.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Promontory forts are a type of hillfort in which conspicuous naturally defended sites are adapted as enclosures by the construction of one or more earth or stone ramparts placed across the neck of a spur in order to divide it from the surrounding land. The ramparts and accompanying ditches formed the main artificial defence, but timber palisades may have been erected along the cliff edges. Access to the interior was generally provided by an entrance through the ramparts. The interior of the fort was used intensively for settlement and related activities, and evidence for timber- and stone- walled round houses can be expected. Promontory forts are generally Iron Age in date, most having been constructed and used between the sixth century BC and the mid-first century AD. In view of their rarity and their importance in the understanding of the nature of social organisation in the later prehistoric period, all examples with surviving archaeological remains are considered nationally important. Despite partial excavation and ploughing, the promontory fort known as Conderton Camp survives comparatively well as earthworks and buried features. The fort is of considerable significance and forms part of a wider archaeological landscape of prehistoric hillforts and settlements on Bredon Hill. The evidence for multi phase construction and strengthening demonstrates the importance of this fort as a defensive site. The survival and multitude of the internal and external archaeological features of the fort considerably enhances the importance of this monument. The promontory fort will contain important information relating to the use, construction and occupation of the monument.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Jackson, R. & Dalwood, H. 2007., Archaeology and Aggregates in Worcestershire. Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service and Cotswold Archaeology.
Pastscape Monument Nos:- 117798 & 117848
Payne, A., Corney, M. & Cunliffe, B. 2006., The Wessex Hillforts Project: Extensive Survey of Hillfort Interiors in Southern England

Source: Historic England