Monument Type(s):

• CIRCULAR ENCLOSURE (Early Iron Age to Roman - 800 BC to 410 AD?)
• DESERTED SETTLEMENT? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)
• RINGWORK? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)

Summary

A curvilinear double ditched enclosure. A test trench across the inner ditch in 1958 tentatively identified 3 pre-Roman phases. Four small fragments of pottery found were dated as Roman with some medieval.

Related records: None recorded

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA633 - 1959 excavation at Hem Ring by A C Ozanne
• ESA634 - 1981 field observation by Shropshire County Council

Description

A small valley fort (sic) identified on APs by Dr St Joseph <1><4a>

It was double ditched. A test trench across the inner ditch in 1958 tentatively identified three pre-Roman phases, the earliest a simple palisade trench. Four small fragments of pottery found. The pottery was shown to Messrs PA Barker, GC Dunning and JG Hurst and regarded by them as Roman with some medieval. A metalled trackway leading eastwards through the bank was reportedly found in 1959. L Chitty suggests that this may be the lost Domesday Manor of the Rea, and the site a Ringwork Castle <6>

A little early medieval pottery was found. Field name Big Dollis (-dol + llys = meadow court?) <7>

There were no earthworks in any of the fields in the vicinity. Most of the fields have been ploughed in recent times. However, both the field names of the NGR and that adjoining it have the prefix Stony, in an area of no natural stone outcrops <8>

Sited in the Rea Valley about 100m OD. A roughly circular double- ditched enclosure, with simple entrance to S, c 120m in diameter. On the ground the site appears as a slight rise in the flat landscape. No surface features or defences are visible. The former owner reported that it was possible to see the cropmark on the ground when they owned it. A Tyler FI 1981 <9>

The single palisade enclosure phase of this site was listed by Challis and Harding under Curvilinear enclosures (Iron Age) <10>

The site of the deserted hamlet of Ree may have been the large circular ditched enclosure SW of Lower Hem Farm <11>

Described by Whimster as a curvilinear double ditched enclosure <13>

Evaluated for MPP in 1990-1, Medium score as one of 20 Ringworks. <14>

Visible on 1983 vertical aerial photograph. <15>

SJ 35670575: This site lies within a pasture field upon a gentle, east-facing slope, 300.0m north of the Rea Brook. The cropmarks (b) are of two concentric circular ditches, the inner about 90.0m in diameter, the outer, 120.0m in diameter, the ditches being 10.0m to 20.0m apart. Nothing was seen on the ground to account for the air photograph markings, neither the site of the 1958/59 excavations nor the 18 low mounds referred to in the 1950s could be recognised. <16>

This enclosure was recorded as part of the Cambridge University Cropmark Project 1981-5. It is slightly larger than stated above, the inner ring having a diameter of approximately 105m and the outer approximately 130m. There is also a possible entrance in both ditch circuits facing almost due south. See project archive for further details (Collection UID: 1035090). <17>

Sources

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