Details

The monument includes the remains of both Iron Age and Early Medieval
settlements. The site is located in a prominent position on the top of south
side of the Thorpe Street valley. The monument is known from archaeological
survey and excavations carried out as part of the Raunds Area Project. These
revealed the remains of ditches, buildings, features and finds. The earliest
features date from the Iron Age (650 BC to 43 AD) and include a single ditched
enclosure measuring some 95m by 65m. The enclosure contains a number of
circular buildings which indicate the site was occupied at some point in this
period. Located on the same site is the Thorpe End early Saxon and late Saxon
settlement, occupied in the Early Medieval period (6th century to 1066 AD).
At this time the site formed one part of the larger Raunds village, a
settlement with two centres of occupation, the other located at north Raunds.
The more extensive remains of later Saxon settlement are also known from
adjacent areas. Broadfield House, which is currently occupied, lies within
the scheduled area but is excluded from the scheduling. However, the ground
beneath it is included.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

There are only some 150 slight univallate hillforts known in Britain, as such,
they are a particularly rare monument type.
The Thorpe End Iron Age hillfort is one such enclosure. It is located only
4km east of the similar enclosure at Crow Hill, Irthlingborough, which is also
considered to be of national importance. They form an unusual pair on either
side of the River Nene. The overlying Saxon settlement, along with the
contemporary North Raunds site, offers a high potential for understanding the
origin, development and selective decline of a Midlands rural settlement.
Good archaeological documentation further enhances the value of the site
adding significantly to the understanding of the nature of prehistoric and
later settlement patterns in this area.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Parker Pearson, Mike, The Raunds Area Project: A Reassessment of the Research Design, 1989,

Source: Historic England