Details

The monument includes a slight univallate hillfort and lynchets on the
northern outskirts of Swindon. The site occupies the level summit of Castle
Hill, a slight promontory with extensive views to the north and north west
across the Thames Valley.
The hillfort, which encloses an area of 3.5ha, is aligned approximately north
west to south east and is broadly triangular in plan with the north western
side forming a rounded angle.
The southern and western sides of the hillfort are formed by a bank which is a
maximum of 15m wide. Beyond this is a ditch 20m wide and a counterscarp bank.
The crest of the bank is at a height of 4.5m above the base of the ditch. The
remaining circuit of the hillfort has no surface earthworks representing
fortification; the northern and north eastern slopes of the promontory form
natural defences. A break in the earthworks at the south western and south
eastern angle of the hillfort is probably the original entrance. Low
earthworks located within the south eastern corner of the hillfort may be the
remains of occupation.
The ramparts on the north western side of the hillfort have been levelled to
form several lynchets, most probably during the medieval period.
All telegraph poles and fenceposts 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.

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.

The hillfort on Castle Hill survives well and will contain archaeological and
environmental evidence relating to its construction, the economy of its
inhabitants and the landscape in which it was built.
Lynchets appear as parallel terraces which are most commonly seen on steep
hillsides. They provide distinctive traces of medieval agricultural activities
in downland areas, indicating the level of intensity of land use and farming
practices through time. The lynchets situated on the north western side of the
hillfort will contain archaeological deposits providing evidence for economy
and the environment during the medieval period.

Source: Historic England