Details

The monument includes a sub-circular Iron Age hillfort situated on the hilltop
of a narrow ridge between two valleys of tributaries to the River Taw and
which itself overlooks the main valley of the river.
The monument survives as a sub-circular bank and outer ditch surrounding a 34m
diameter internal area. The ditch measures 5.3m wide and 0.6m deep to the
west, and 4.2m wide and 0.4m deep on the eastern side. The bank measures 2.3m
wide and up to 1.4m high externally and 2.3m high internally on its western
side. There is also a length of walling which acts as a revetment. To the east
the bank is a very low, spread feature with a maximum height of 0.1m.
A section of field boundary crossing the monument from north to south, and a
later post and wire fence surrounding the western section are excluded from
the scheduling although the ground beneath these features is included.

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

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 two entrances comprising either simple
gaps in the earthwork or an inturned rampart. Postholes revealed by excavation
indicate the occasional presence of portal gateways while more elaborate
features like overlapping ramparts and outworks are limited to only a few
examples. 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. Slight
univallate hillforts are rare with around 150 examples recorded nationally.
Although on a national scale the number is low, in Devon they comprise one of
the major classes of hillfort. In other areas where the distribution is
relatively dense, for example, Wessex, Sussex, the Cotswolds and the
Chilterns, hillforts belonging to a number of different classes occur within
the same region. Examples are also recorded in eastern England, the Welsh
Marches, central and southern England. In view of the rarity of slight
univallate hillforts and their importance in understanding the transition
between Bronze Age and Iron Age communities, all examples which survive
comparatively well and have potential for the recovery of further
archaeological remains are believed to be of national importance.

Brightley Barton camp survives comparatively well and contains archaeological
and environmental information relating to the settlement and exploitation of
this area during the Iron Age. Small enclosures such as this, although more
common in neighbouring Cornwall, are considered relatively rare in Devon.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS62SW6,

Source: Historic England