Summary

Gadbury Camp.

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 large univallate hill fort that encircles the upper part of Gadbury Bank, a large hill overlooking the river valley between the River Leadon to the east and the Severn to the west. In plan the site is an irregular oval that follows the contours of the hill with the longest axis running north east to south west. A single rampart of earth encloses an area of 10 acres, the earthworks measure up to 400m long and is 100m at the widest point. Entrances are located at the north east and north-west with the earthworks at the north-east entrance inturned. A possible Iron Age statue has been found on the site in addition to Roman coins.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Large univallate hillforts are defined as fortified enclosures of varying shape, ranging in size between 1ha and 10ha, located on hilltops and surrounded by a single boundary comprising earthworks of massive proportions. They date to the Iron Age period, most having been constructed and used between the fourth century BC and the first century AD, although evidence for earlier use is present at most sites. The size of the earthworks reflects the ability of certain social groups to mobilise the labour necessary for works on such a monumental scale, and their function may have had as much to do with display as defence. Large univallate hillforts are also seen as centres of redistribution, both for subsistence products and items produced by craftsmen. The ramparts are of massive proportions except in locations where steepness of slope precludes easy access. They can vary between 6m and 20m wide and may survive to a height of 6m. The ditches can measure between 6m and 13m wide and between 3m and 5m deep. Access to the interior is generally provided by one or two entrances which often take the form of long passages formed by inturned ramparts and originally closed by a gate located towards the inner end of the passageway. The entrance may be flanked by guardrooms and/or accompanied by outworks. 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.

In view of the rarity of large univallate hillforts and their importance in understanding the organisation and regional structure of Iron Age society, all examples with surviving archaeological remains are believed to be of national importance. Gadbury Camp seems to have had little, if any, archaeological examination so there remains the potential for remaining layers and deposits that could contain important archaeological information relating to the use, construction and occupation of the monument as well as providing environmental evidence concerning its local landscape context.

Source: Historic England