| Summary : A Late Bronze Age univallate hillfort, a palisaded settlement, at least one Bronze Age bowl barrow and a 19th century beacon, situated on a steep, north facing scarp edge. The semi-circular hillfort has maximum dimensions of 250 metres east-west by 120 metres north-south within a defensive bank, ditch and counterscarp bank. The defensive bank survives to a maximum height of 1 metre and the ditch varies in width from 4 to 6 metres and is on average 1 metre deep. A break for the original entrance appears on the south-eastern side. Within the defensive circuit there are several features relating to the use of the hillfort, including at least one round house revealed by excavation. A stone walled enclosure, set against the southern part of the bank is contemporary with or later than the hillfort. Excavation has shown that the first activity on the hilltop was in the Early Bronze Age. A low fragment of the mound of a bowl barrow constructed during this period can be seen near the scarp edge. Flint tools of broadly similar date were also found. The hilltop was first enclosed by two phases of wooden palisade during the Late Bronze Age before the construction of the more massive bank and ditch visible today. Although the palisades are no longer visible at ground level, their foundation slots survive as buried features. In the south-eastern section of the hillfort, were a modern monument marks its position there are the remains of a square, stone beacon. This is situated within a small quadrangular enclosure and is believed to have been erected in the early 19th century when it served as a beacon or lookout during the Napoleonic wars. Conjectural evidence for earlier occupation of the site comes from the discovery of Palaeolithic and Mesolithic finds in the area. Scheduled. |
More information : NZ 568183 Eston Nab (NAT) Fort (NR). (1)
An Iron Age promontory fort consisting of a bank, ditch and counterscarp and having a rampart 9ft to 14ft high which was shown by excavation (2) in 1927-29 to be of earth banked up against a dry stone wall.
In the interior, two lines of stones about 100ft long and a yard apart defined the site of hearths. Fragments of late Bronze Age pottery, a tanged and barbed arrowhead and other implements, including three small, stone disks resembling those of the Mesolithic Age were found nearby and a cup stone was found 2ft down in the outer ditch.
On the cliff edge, halfway between the rampart ends, cremated interments were found associated with a food vessel and leaf-shaped arrowheads. These suggest Bronze Age occupation prior to the building of the earthwork. Further Mesolithic flints were found by F A Aberg during excavations in 1967-8 and a large flint found during the 1927-29 excavations was identified as Paleaolithic. (2-4)
Surveyed at 1:2500. (5)
The sequence of events on this site can be summarised as follows:-
1. Mesolithic - extended,if dicontinuous, activity.
2. Neolithic - limited activity with no settlement evidence.
3. Early or Middle Bronze Age - one or more burial mounds near the scarp edge.
4. Later Bronze Age - establishment of two successive palisaded enclosures, probably with associated settlement.
5. Early pre-Roman Iron Age - construction of boulder wall on larger circuit. Mid pre-Roman Iron Age (early fifth century BC) - construction of bank, ditch, and counterscarp bank, C14 dated.
Full excavation report. (6)
Additional reference. (6a) (7) (8) (9)
NZ 568 183. Eston Nab. Listed in gazetteer as a univallate hillfort covering 1.1ha. (10)
NZ 5678 1827. Eston Nab hill fort, palisaded settlement and beacon.
Scheduled RSM No 20870. The monument includes a Late Bronze Age hillfort, a palisaded settlement, at least one Bronze Age bowl barrow and a 19th century beacon. The semi-circular hillfort has maximum dimensions of 250m E-W by 120m N-S within a defensive bank, ditch and counterscarp bank. The defensive bank survives to a height of 1m and the ditch is between 4m and 6m wide and up to 1m deep. A break for the original entrance appears on the SE side. The counter-scarp bank is up to 4m wide and survives to 1m high. A stone walled enclosure set against the S part of the bank within the hillfort is comtemporary with or later than the hillfort. A low fragment of a bowl barrow is visible near the scarp edge. In the SE section of the hillfort, where a moden monument marks its position, there are the remains of a square, stone beacon within a small quadrangular enclosure. The beacon is believed to be a Napoleonic lookout. (11)
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