Details

The monument includes the remains of a palisaded settlement of Early Iron Age
date situated on the top of a ridge with a southerly aspect. The settlement
comprises the remains of at least eight timber houses visible as shallow
circular grooves 0.5m to 0.7m wide. The houses range in size from 7m to the
largest of 11m in diameter; the two largest houses are bounded by double
rings. A slight groove, visible to the east of the houses is thought to
represent the remains of an oval rock cut palisade trench which would have
enclosed the houses.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

A palisaded hilltop enclosure is a small defended site of domestic function
dating to the Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age (c.550-440 BC). Their
distribution is largely restricted to north-eastern England, the Borders and
southern Scotland. They are generally located on spurs, promontories or
hilltops covering areas of less then 0.4ha. The boundaries of these sites are
marked by single or double rock-cut trenches which originally formed the
settings for substantial palisades. Remains of circular buildings are found
within the palisaded areas, along with evidence for fenced stock enclosures.
Palisaded sites are the earliest type of defended settlements recorded in the
area and are thought to be a product of increasingly unsettled social
conditions in the later prehistoric period. They imply an extensive use of
timber, confirmation that large areas were heavily wooded at this time.
Although the palisades at individual sites may have undergone several phases
of replacement or refurbishment it is thought that the tradition of building
this type of site spanned only around 150 years. After this the use of earthen
banks and ditches to form the defensive perimeter became more common.
Excavation has demonstrated that at several sites the earthen defences were
preceded by timber palisades.
Palisaded enclosures are a rare monument type with fewer than 200 known
examples. They are an important element of the later prehistoric settlement
pattern and are important for any study of the developing use of defended
settlements during the later prehistoric period. All identified surviving
examples are believed to be nationally important.

The palisaded settlement NNE of Hosedon Linn is very well preserved and
retains substantial and significant archaeological deposits. It is one of a
group of palisaded settlements in the border area of England and Scotland and
will contribute to our knowledge and understanding of Early Iron Age
settlement and activity in the north.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Jobey, G, 'Archaeologia Aeliana 4 ser 50' in Notes On Additional Early Settlements In Northumberland, (1972), 71-73

Source: Historic England