Monument Type(s):

• CROSS DYKE (Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2600 BC to 43 AD)
• ENCLOSURE (Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2600 BC to 43 AD)
• LINEAR FEATURE (Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2600 BC to 43 AD)
• UNIVALLATE HILLFORT? (Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2600 BC to 43 AD)

Summary

Scheduled Monument: An Iron Age hillfort (one of a number in the area) which incorporates a series of earlier fortifications, Castle Ring is an instructive example of a nationally rare form of hillfort, with a single relatively slight rampart.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA4505 - Undated field observation
• ESA4506 - 1972 field observation by the Ordnance Survey
• ESA4507 - 1973 field observation by the Ordnance Survey
• ESA4508 - 1987 field observation by English Heritage
• ESA6904 - 2011-12 DBA and walkover survey of hillforts in Shropshire by Shropshire Council and Herefordshire Council
• ESA4785 - 1992-2000 Summary Condition Survey of SAMs in the Shropshire Hills Environmentally Sensitive Area by English Heritage

Description

Castle Ring occupies the northern end of a narrow neck between two coombes just where it opens out onto a plateau. The main defence comprises a semi-circular rampart and ditch running from steep slope to steep slope with a slightly inturned entrance near the eastern extremity. Now occupied and mutilated by the holloway of an ancient track. The western extremity fades and stops short of the steepest slopes and this appears to be an original feature. Where best preserved the rampart is 2.0m in height above the bottom of the 0.5m deep ditch. It rises 0.5m above the interior which is turf covered and featureless.
The defence on the south, completely separate from the main work, comprises a large typical LBA cross dyke. It is laid in the usual manner across the neck with both ends extending onto the steepest slopes before fading. It is cut through by the ancient track near its eastern extremity possibly where some sort of entrance existed.
The two works form a coherent whole although there seems to have been no attempt to scarp the natural slopes which form part of
the perimeter.
The impression is of a stout not massive work, utilising pre-existing works and natural defence.
It would thus fit into the defended settlement category, probably EIA. <1a>

Roughly triangular area of little less than one acre. North side has bank, (up to 2.1m high), with external ditch (irregular) and 3 small banks with internal ditches across southern end, where slopes steep. Original entrance on NE 12m wide. No defence along the edge of the slopes on the E and W. A reassessment of the earthwork complex comprising PRN 00186, PRN 00187, PRN 00188 and PRN 00189 suggests that the function of the enclosure may be as a stock enclosure linked to the system of cross dykes used to define the plateau. The earthworks are too weak for defensive purposes. The banks at the south end of the enclosure may be originally crossdykes also. <12a>

The hill-fort of Castle Ring occupies the narrowest part of a long ridge on Stitt Hill. It is enclosed on the north by a semicircular bank which rises 3ft from the interior and descends 10ft into an outer ditch which is still up to 5ft deep. The western and eastern sides are protected by two steep natural gullies, while the narrow ridge on the south is defended by twin scarps and ditches. <12c>

SO 405 978. Stitt Hill. Listed in gazetteer as a univallate hillfort covering 0.92ha. <18>

Castle Ring was clearly visible on aerial photographs and was mapped during the Marches Uplands NMP. The hillfort appears to be semi natural with a ditch and bank around half its circuit. The south-west side looks along the top of the ridge and theentrance is defended by a triple bank and ditch feature. <19>

Evaluated for MPP in 1990-1, High score as one of 30 Upland Enclosures <25>

The monument includes the remains of a slight univallate hillfort, which incorporates a series of cross dykes, situated at the junction of a west spur and south spur at the south west end of Stitt Hill. The hillfort is roughly triangular in plan with maximum dimensions of 160m east to west by 170m north to south and has an enclosed area of just over one ha. The defences have developed from a series of cross dykes, cutting across natural spurs, into a near-continuous enclosure. The scale of the defences takes account of the natural topography so that, whilst the northern side of the site is defended by a strong cross dyke type rampart, the south side depends heavily on the natural steepness of the hillslope. ->

-> The northern rampart is designed to protect the site from the natural approach along the hilltop to the north. It comprises a well defined earthen bank up to 10m wide and 1.2m high on its internal south side, which stands 2.4m on its external (north) side above the bottom of a broad bottomed ditch 5m wide and 0.9m deep. A vestigial counter scarp bank 0.3m high runs along the outer edge of the ditch along most of its length. At its western extent the ditch has the form of several shallow scoops which may indicate its method of construction. This substantial bank and ditch cuts east to west across the hilltop, curving at either end before fading out in the west on a steepening natural slope and in the east at a simple entrance 12m wide. Running south west from this entrance the natural slope has been cut back to form a steepened slope or scarp 4m high. At the top of this scarp a terraced way 2m wide has been cut into the hilltop creating a parallel scarp 1.2m high. The terrace passes out through the original entrance in the north east and runs on along the ridge top to the south west. ->

-> The southern corner of the hillfort is bounded by three short parallel banks and ditches averaging lm high and 0.6m deep respectively. These short cross dykes cut north west to south east across the narrow spur and are designed to block any approach from the south. The western spur has a similarly positioned cross dyke. (PRN 0189) It lies some 90m west of the main enclosure and includes a low bank and ditch 27m long, north to south, with an overall width of 14m and standing up to 1.2m high. The remaining south west portion of the enclosure appears to have no artificial defence, relying instead on the natural steepness of the slopes at the head of a small valley. All modern boundary features are excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath them is included. <26>

Photographed during aerial survey in 2008 and 2009. <28>-<34>

This site was visited during a survey of major later prehistoric enclosures in the region, in 2011-2012. A small quarry delve of probable post-medieval date is present immediately beyond the southern boundary of the monument. <35>

Visited during a condition survey by the English Heritage Field Monument Warden, in 1992. Condition recorded as poor. <36>

Sources

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