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Summary

Excavations at Castle Dore in 1936-37 revealed some twenty Iron Age huts in the interior of the hillfort.

Protected Status: None recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 26690.02
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SX15SW 1.1

Monument Type(s):

• HUT CIRCLE (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)

Full description

Excavations at Castle Dore in 1936-37 by CA Ralegh Radford revealed some twenty Iron Age huts in the interior of the hillfort. The earliest of these, which Radford assigned Period I, comprised six huts which were indicated by roughly circular depressions in the shillet bedrock surrounded by irregular post-settings. These were situated immediately behind the inner rampart (b1). Quinnell and Harris note that little pottery was securely stratified due to plough disturbance. A large number of post holes could not be assigned to any structural phase due to this damage. Pottery sealed beneath the inner rampart is of early south-west decorated type, dated by Quinnell and Harris to the C5 and C4 BC. The earliest huts are also likely to be of similar date. These huts are sealed by a sterile stony layer which appears to represent a period of disuse before the hillfort was remodelled (b2). Radford's Period III huts follow the re-modelling of the defences. The two best preserved examples had rings of six posts surrounded by rings of paving. Large post holes, interpreted as porches were identified (b1). Current studies of hillfort interiors indicate that double ring round houses (of which these apppear to be examples) often had stake-built outer walls which are unlikely to survive on ploughed sites such as Castle Dore (b2).

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Site history:
2: 1969. OS
3: 1979. SHEPPARD, PA / DOE
4: 1987. LUXULYAN VALLEY PROJECT
5: 1988. PRESTON-JONES, A / HBMC
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<1> Radford, CAR, 1951, Report on the Excavations at Castle Dore, (NS) VOL 1, APPENDIX (Article in Journal). SCO5144.

<2> Quinnell, H & Harris, DG, 1985, Castle Dore: The Chronology Reconsidered, VOL 24, 123-131 (Article in Journal). SCO4207.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds

• FCO4426 - SHERD (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)

Associated Events: none recorded

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