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Historic England Research Records

Hollingbury Castle

Hob Uid: 401975
Location :
The City of Brighton and Hove
The City of Brighton and Hove
Non Civil Parish, The City of Brighton and Hove
Grid Ref : TQ3220307881
Summary : The earthworks and interior of a slight univallate hillfort dating to the Early Iron Age. Excavation in 1931 and 1967-1969 dated the hillfort to the early 6th century BC, and revealed that it had been preceded by a Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age enclosure.
More information :

(TQ 322 079) Hollingbury Castle (NAT) Hill Fort (NR). (1)

Hollingbury fort, comprising a bank and ditch with traces of a slight counterscrarp bank in the S (See Curwen's plan). Original entrances occur on the E and W sides, the latter being inturned, and there is a modern break on the NW side of the fort. In the interior are four mounds (See TQ 30 NW 18), and on the E side a "lynchet-like slope", extending N-S from rampart to rampart, (TQ 3225 0778 - TQ 3227 0796).

There have been two excavations. The first in 1908 (3) of a rubbish pit (at TQ 3212 0783) revealed Caburn 1 potsherds. The second excavation in 1932 (4) was concerned with the relationship of the "lynchet-like slope' to the main fort, and it was proved that the slope was in fact a slight bank with silted-up ditch to the E, which is overlaid by the main rampart and therefore earlier. It is "fairly certain" that this earlier bank/ditch was originally an enclosure, the N, S and W sides
being overlaid by the later fort. Excavation of the main defences on the NE side and the E entrance revealed the post-holes of a timber-cased rampart with a berm and U-shaped ditch. Modern posts were erected in the post-holes (16 in all). A trial trench across the interior of the fort revealed a palisade trench 80ft W of the earlier bank/ditch, extending for 153 ft N-S parallel with the main defence with an entrance opposite the E entrance. Curwen considered this to be the latest feature of the site. Pottery found is of Caburn 1 type, c 450 BC - 250 BC. (2-4)

Hollingbury Castle, an IA 'A' univallate hillfort, now mostly under rough pasture and gorse, generally as described and planned by Curwen, though the inturning of the N side of the W entrance is mutilated and not surveyable.

Published survey (25") revised. (5)

The earthworks described by the previous authorities can be seen in lidar imagery and have been mapped as part of the Changing Chalk, Downs from Above Project. (7)

Sources :
Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : Ordnance Survey 25" 1955
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Source Number : 2
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Source details :
Page(s) : 113-20
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Vol(s) : 104, 1966
Source Number : 3
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Source details :
Page(s) : 17-19
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Vol(s) : 1, 1914
Source Number : 4
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Source details :
Page(s) : Jan-16
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Plates :
Vol(s) : 12, 1932
Source Number : 5
Source :
Source details : First OS Archaeology Field Investigator 23/08/1972
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Source Number : 6
Source :
Source details : English Heritage Schedule Entry 19/04/1996
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Source Number : 7
Source :
Source details : LIDAR Environment Agency DTM 17-JAN-2019
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Monument Types:
Monument Period Name : Late Bronze Age
Display Date : Late Bronze Age
Monument End Date :
Monument Start Date :
Monument Type : Enclosure, Pound
Evidence : Earthwork, Conjectural Evidence
Monument Period Name : Early Iron Age
Display Date : Early Iron Age
Monument End Date :
Monument Start Date :
Monument Type : Enclosure, Earthwork, Pound
Evidence : Conjectural Evidence
Monument Period Name : Early Iron Age
Display Date : Early C6 BC
Monument End Date : -500
Monument Start Date : -599
Monument Type : Univallate Hillfort, Round House (Domestic), Farmstead
Evidence : Earthwork, Sub Surface Deposit, Find, Conjectural Evidence
Monument Period Name : Roman
Display Date : Roman
Monument End Date : 410
Monument Start Date : 43
Monument Type : Palisaded Enclosure, Temple
Evidence : Sub Surface Deposit, Conjectural Evidence
Components and Objects:
Period : Early Iron Age
Component Monument Type : Univallate Hillfort, Round House (Domestic), Farmstead
Object Type : LOOMWEIGHT, QUERN
Object Material :
Related Records from other datasets:
External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : SX 68
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : ES 68
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (National No.)
External Cross Reference Number : 27028
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : TQ 30 NW 12
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : OASIS ID
External Cross Reference Number : nmr1-506477
External Cross Reference Notes :
Related Warden Records :
Related Activities :
Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1908-01-01
End Date : 1908-12-31
Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1931-01-01
End Date : 1931-12-31
Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1972-08-23
End Date : 1972-08-23
Associated Activities :
Activity type : GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY
Start Date : 1998-01-01
End Date : 1998-12-31