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Derbyshire HER

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Name:Camp Hill, Elmton
HER No.:5226
Type of Record:Monument
Designation:None recorded

Summary

Cropmarks and finds suggest a possible Romano-British settlement site at Camp Hill

Grid Reference:SK 512 737
Parish:ELMTON

Monument Type(s):

Associated Finds

  • FDR10813 - COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FDR11537 - SHERD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Events

  • EDR1122 - Ordnance Survey Field Report, 15-OCT-65

Full Description

[Area SK 513 738] There is said to have been a Roman encampment on the site now called Camp Hill or Sand Hill. Several ancient coins were found on the adjoining farm and a silver coin was found recently bearing a bust and the word "Caesar". (1) Nothing of archaeological interest seen. Enquiries regarding the coins were negative. (2) Camp Hill, Elmton, may be referred to in the Thurgarton Abbey Cartulary, c.1200, which mentions the "fossatum castelli". Nothing is visible, due to regular ploughing, and except for a record of "several spear heads" from the Oaks Farm area [SMR 5213] nothing more is known. (3-4)

Aerial photographs have revealed a series of cropmarks at Camp Hill, continuing north-west and south-west into adjacent fields. The salient feature is a group of rectilinear single-ditched enclosures in the north-east corner of the field, apparently of several phases. Several other linear features are visible together with a scatter of possible pits and at least 3 small curvilinear features up to c.12m in diameter which could represent hut foundations. Typological comparisons suggest a later prehistoric or Romano-British occupation focus, but little artefactual evidence in support of this interpretation has so far been obtained. Roman coins have been reported from the site (see 1) while systematic fieldwalking yielded four moderately abraded Romano-British sherds including one of Samian, a flat-rim dish in grey ware (2nd-3rd century?) and two grey ware sherds. The cropmarks accord the site a high rarity value in the context of the Magnesian Limestone escarpment. (7, 8)

Sources and Further Reading

[1]SDR3507 - Bibliographic reference: Bulmer, T and Co.. 1895. History, Topography and Directory of Derbyshire. p 245.
[2]SDR6096 - Personal Observation: F1 BHS 15-OCT-65.
[3]SDR10777 - Bibliographic reference: Hart, C (NDAT). 1981. The North Derbyshire Archaeological Survey to AD 1500. p 143.
[4]SDR13112 - Bibliographic reference: Cameron, K. 1959. 'The Place-Names of Derbyshire, Part II', English Place-Name Society. p 257.
[5]SDR10991 - Index: NDAT. 0857. 0857.
[6]SDR7085 - Bibliographic reference: Haverfield, F. 1905. Victoria County History: Derbyshire, Vol.1. p 257.
[7]SDR18656 - Article in serial: Knight, D, Garton, D, & Leary, R (TPAT). 1998. 'The Elmton fieldwalking survey: prehistoric and Romano-British artefact scatters', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Volume 118, pp 69-85.
[8]SDR19661 - Archive: Knight, D (TPAT). 1984-1986. Fieldwalking Survey of Elmton - archive fieldwalking sheets held in the SMR. Acc. No. 105.