Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Fortress Dyke
Hob Uid: 50756
Location : North Yorkshire Harrogate Laverton
Grid Ref : SE1786073180
Summary : A Probable Iron Age/Romano-British square enclosure surviving as an earthwork. Possibly an enclosed settlement and utilised sporadically into the Early Medieval period. A Bronze Age barbed and tanged arrowhead was also found. The site is scheduled.
More information : [SE 1786 7318] Ancient Earthwork [T.I] (1) A nearly square enclosure, formed by a stone rampart with outer ditch, 1 3/4 acres in area, is of supposed Roman date. Only traces remain of the eastern side. A barbed and tanged arrowhead was found by Mr.Strickland. (2-3) The earthwork is generally as described, but has an earthen rampart, and a counterscarp bank on the south side. The remains are extensively mutilated, and no original entrances survive. It is most unlike a Roman work (badly sited, rounded style of south side, and lack of entrances in any of the three preserved sides), and is more probably of I.A.date. See large scale sketch. No find spot for the arrowhead could be established, as the finder has now left the district. Detail of earthwork delineated on AP.F.21 540/1401/ No 0198 (pending A/M plotting). (4) Condition unchanged. The enclosure is approximately 80.0m N-S by 60.0m E-W (inferred). All the banks forming it have an average width of 7.0m, and they range from 1.0m to 2.0m in height. The earthwork appears to represent some form of enclosed settlement, although no hut sites are now visible, due possibly to mutilation of the interior. Similarly the gentle hill slope to the west, as the only well-drained position in a predominantly marshy area, could well have supported an associated field system, but no positive evidence of one survives. Surveyed at 1:10,000. (5) Pollen and soil analyses of the site suggests it is of the Romano British period, but was utilised sporadically into the Dark Ages. Traces of a low mound 30m. long can be detected within the northeast corner of the enclosure parallel to the northern margin. Impressions of a circular structure which is conceivably a hut foundation lie adjacent to it. (6) SE 179 732. Fortress Dyke camp. Scheduled No NY/1053. (7) Carlesmoor Camp, is listed by Challis and Harding as a D-shaped enclosure (Iron Age) with a hut circle. (7)

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Source Number : 1
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Source details : OS 6" 1956.
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Source Number : 2
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Page(s) : 16
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Vol(s) : 2, 1912

Source Number : 3
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Source details : Extracted from The Archaeology of Nidderdale. Typescript.
Page(s) : 32-33
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Source Number : 4
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Source details : E C Waight/20-JUL-1965/Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigator
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Source Number : 5
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Source details : R W Emsley/17-MAY-1976/Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigator
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Source Number : 6
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Page(s) : 23-33
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Vol(s) : 46, 1974

Source Number : 7
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Page(s) : 50
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Vol(s) : 20(i-ii)

Source Number : 8
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Source details : English Heritage SAM List N Yorks March 1994 20
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Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Bronze Age
Display Date : Bronze Age
Monument End Date : -700
Monument Start Date : -2600
Monument Type : Findspot
Evidence : Find

Monument Period Name : Iron Age
Display Date : Iron Age
Monument End Date : 43
Monument Start Date : -800
Monument Type : Enclosure, Enclosed Settlement, Hut Circle
Evidence : Earthwork, Conjectural Evidence

Monument Period Name : Roman
Display Date : Roman
Monument End Date : 410
Monument Start Date : 43
Monument Type : Enclosure, Enclosed Settlement, Hut Circle
Evidence : Earthwork, Conjectural Evidence

Monument Period Name : Early Medieval
Display Date : Early Medieval
Monument End Date : 1066
Monument Start Date : 410
Monument Type : Settlement
Evidence : Conjectural Evidence

Components and Objects:

Period : Bronze Age
Component Monument Type : Findspot
Object Type : BARBED AND TANGED ARROWHEAD
Object Material :

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : NY 1053
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SE 17 SE 2
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : Is referred to by

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1965-07-20
End Date : 1965-07-20

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1973-01-01
End Date : 1973-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1976-05-17
End Date : 1976-05-17

Historic England Research Records

Fortress Dyke