Details

The monument includes a `D'-shaped late prehistoric enclosed settlement. It
is situated on Oldfield Hill, 340m west of Wentworth Farm.
The enclosure is approximately 80m by 85m in overall size. It has an earth
and stone bank about 9m wide and 0.8m high, with an internal ditch on all but
the south east side. On this side, the bank runs along the top of a steep
scarp. The site was first excavated by I A Richmond in 1923 who found a
double gateway and causeway on the north east side. Subsequent excavations in
1960-1 revealed two possible occupation phases.
The surface of the track at the west corner of the enclosure and the fence
bordering the track on the south west side of the enclosure 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

The Pennine uplands of northern England contain a wide variety of prehistoric
remains, including cairns, enclosures, carved rocks, settlements and field
systems. These are evidence of the widespread exploitation of these uplands
throughout later prehistory. During the last millennium BC a variety of
different types of enclosed settlements developed. These include hillforts,
which have substantial earthworks and are usually located on hilltops. Other
types of enclosed settlement of this period are less obviously defensive, as
they have less substantial earthworks and are usually in less prominent
positions. In the Pennines a number of late prehistoric enclosed settlements
survive as upstanding monuments. Where upstanding earthworks survive, the
settlements are between 0.4ha and 10ha in area, and are usually located on
ridges or hillside terraces. The enclosing earthworks are usually slight, most
consisting of a ditch with an internal bank, or with an internal and external
bank, but examples with an internal ditch and with no ditch are known. They
are sub-circular, sub-rectangular, or oval in shape. Few of these enclosed
settlements have been subject to systematic excavation, but they are thought
to date from between the Late Bronze Age to the Romano-British period (c.1000
BC-AD 400). Examples which have been excavated have presented evidence of
settlement. Some appear to have developed from earlier palisaded enclosures.
Unexcavated examples occasionally have levelled areas which may have contained
buildings, but a proportion may have functioned primarily as stock enclosures.
Enclosed settlements are a distinctive feature of the late prehistory of the
Pennine uplands, and are important in illustrating the variety of enclosed
settlement types which developed in many areas of Britain at this time.
Examples where a substantial proportion of the enclosed settlement survives
are considered to be nationally important.

The late prehistoric enclosed settlement 340m west of Wentworth Farm survives
well. It is one of two similar enclosed settlements on the south side of
Meltham. It contributes to the understanding of late prehistoric settlement
and land use in northern England.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
'Huddersfield Archaeological Society' in Huddersfield Archaeological Society Bulletin 1960 1961 1962, (1960)
Richmond, I A, 'Yorkshire Archaeological Journal' in Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, , Vol. XXVII, (1924)

Source: Historic England