Monument Type(s):

• HILLFORT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 43 AD)
• (Alternate Type) HUNTING LODGE? (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1540 AD?)

Summary

Burf Castle is an Iron Age univallate hillfort. It is under 3 acres in area and situated on a low hill at 125m OD. It is defined by a scarp slope generally 1.6m in height, with a steep natural slope on the south-west.

Related records: None recorded

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA1844 - 1976 field observation by Shropshire County Council
• ESA1845 - 1977 field observation by Shropshire County Council
• ESA1846 - 1979 field observation by the Ordnance Survey
• ESA6904 - 2011-12 DBA and walkover survey of hillforts in Shropshire by Shropshire Council and Herefordshire Council

Description

Burf Castle is an Iron Age hillfort, univallate and 3 acres in area <1a>

Burf Castle an Iron Age defended settlement situated on a low hill at 125m OD. It is defined by a scarp slope generally 1.6m in height, with a steep natural slope on the south west. The enclosed area measures 140m from north west to south east, by 60m transversely, and there are traces of an apparently in-turned entrance at the south east end. The north west end encloses a natural knoll with traces of an external ditch. The apparent ditch at the south-east end appears to be a natural gully. The earthwork is planted with trees, and obscured by dense undergrowth. OS FI 1979 <1>

The site of the hillfort is now extremely hard to trace, the whole area having been disturbed by trees. I Burrow FI 1976 <2>

The hillfort occupies the summit of a knoll on a ridge. Internally the site slopes gently E/W and N/S along the ridge, with a single line of defences enclosing 0.5 ha <3a>

The site is as indicated on the 1:2500 OS is roughly trapezoidal in shape, but it is very difficult to trace on the ground. The western corner is approx 2m above the outside ground surface, there being no obvious ditch but one would be expected there crossing across the end of the knoll. The height above the interior is up to 1m. This is the only obvious fragment. All the other sides are hardly discernible. No internal features and there is no obvious entrance, but this is not surprising in view of the condition of the ramparts and the ground cover. A Tyler FI 1981 <3>

This site was visited during a survey of major later prehistoric enclosures in the region, in 2011-2012. Defences very slight and heavily masked by vegetation even in late winter. There are a range of possible alternative interpretations for this site. For example, it occupies one of the highest points in the former medieval Mogg Forest, and could therefore represent an enclosure associated with a medieval hunting lodge. Alternatively, it could represent a very early hillfort that was subsequently abandoned. <5>

Evaluated for MPP in 1990-1, Low score as one of 11 Slight univallate hillforts. <6>

<00> Shropshire County Council SMR, Site and Monuments Record (SMR) cards, SMR Card for PRN SA 01259 (Card index). SSA20722.

<01b> Victoria County History, 1908, Victoria County History 1, p380 with plan (xerox forms part of OSRC SO79SE7) (Volume). SSA178.

<01a> Anon, 1967, Southern Britain in the Iron Age, p48 (Monograph). SSA5187.

<01> Ordnance Survey, 1979, Ordnance Survey Record Card SO79SE7 (Card index). SSA5188.

<02> Burrow Ian, 1976, Visit Notes, 1976 (Site visit report). SSA5191.

<03a> Hogg A H A, 1975, Hillforts of Britain, p186 (Monograph). SSA1150.

<03> Tyler Alan W, 1981-Jan-27, Site Visit Form, 27/01/1981 (Field recording form). SSA5190.

<04> Tyler Alan W, 1981, Burf Castle (Photograph). SSA5189.

<05> Dorling P & Wigley A, 2012, Assessment of the archaeological and conservation status of major later prehistoric enclosures in Herefordshire and Shropshire, p.176 (Archaeological fieldwork report). SSA24361.

<06> Horton Wendy B, 1990/ 1991, MPP Evaluation File (TEXT). SSA20084.

Sources

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