Monument Type(s):

• HILLFORT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 43 AD)
• UNIVALLATE HILLFORT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 43 AD)

Summary

Scheduled Monument: An outwork of Llanymynech Iron Age hillfort.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA1969 - 1972 field observation by the Ordnance Survey
• ESA1970 - 1981 field observation by Shropshire County Council
• ESA1971 - Undated field observation by English Heritage
• ESA1972 - 1987 field observation by English Heritage
• ESA6103 - 2006 WB on installation of gate at Blodwell Rock Camp by SCCAS
• ESA6904 - 2011-12 DBA and walkover survey of hillforts in Shropshire by Shropshire Council and Herefordshire Council

Description

An outwork of SA 1117. It consists of a single bank and ditch on a steepish slope, running parallel to the western scarp of the hill for 300 yds. The ends of the vallum are turned at right angles to meet the scarp and at the north the defences are doubled and are covered by an additional outwork . The ditch is on the east of the bank, not on the west as would be expected if it were part of Offa's Dyke, which in fact ends 600 yds to the N. The line of the Dyke in this sector is the western cliff of the Llanymynech, Blodwell and Crickheath Hills, utilising the earlier earthworks where they exist. <1a>

An Iron Age fort occupying the top of a limestone ridge running N-E to S-W, which has a line of near-vertical cliff along the N-W side. The enclosure measures internally, 310.0m by 55.0m, and is bounded on the lower, S-E side by an earth and stone bank, up to 10.0m in width, and in height, 0.3m internally and up to 3.0m externally. As described by Fox (1), the bank turns at the ends of the work to terminate upon the scarp. The ditch, where extant, is reduced to a terrace 4.0m wide, with an outward -facing scarp, 4.0m wide, 2.0m high. The entrance through the N-E corner is covered by a bank on the S, and additional defence on the weak, N-E side across the ridge-top is provided by an outer bank, 10.0m wide and in height, 1.2m externally, 1.5m internally. The site is densely overgrown. <1c>

The hillfort is situated on the cliff edge to the north of Llanymynech hillfort at an altitude of 210-2225m OD. The bedrock consists of Carboniferous Lower Limestone with a thin soil cover and forest litter. A univallate fort subrectangular in shape with an internal area of about 1.8ha...The defences are univallate for much of the circuit although at the northern end they are doubled and are covered by an additional outwork. The original entrance appears to have been in the North east corner, where the defences are most complex. The ramparts are of dumped rubble construction where it is possible to study them. Much of the interior and the ramparts are covered with conifer plantation which obscures most features. Only at the N end, where open woodland predominates, is it possible to see anything in detail. The interior slopes gently from west to east. A Tyler FI 1981 <4>

Watching brief carried out in 2007 on the installation of a kissing gate on the right of way at Blodwell Rock at the site of the Iron Age hillfort, near Pant. Scheduled monument consent was needed as the location of the gate was outside the hill fort but within the scheduled area. No significant archaeological features were observed in the excavation. <5>

The site was visited during a survey of major later prehistoric enclosures in the region, in 2011-2012. A double rampart was noted at the N end. No obvious entrance here, but obscured by heavy scrub and young tree growth. Single rampart on W side (Offa’s Dyke?) and on E side. Multiple ramparts on S side, again obscured by vegetation. Possible causewayed entrance at SW corner. <6><6a>

The location of this fort falls within the area mapped from aerial photographs by RCHME's Marches Uplands Mapping Project, but only the western rampart, coinciding with Offa's Dyke (SJ 22 SE 93), was recorded by that survey. <7>

Sources

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.