More information : (NU 07502155) Camp (OE) (1)
Old Bewick. Trial excavation made 1934, but insufficient evidence obtained to date the works. The fort is of the 'spectacles' type, i.e. adjacent twin forts semicircular in plan, their diameters meeting on the edge of a steep cliff. Each fort has a double rampart and ditch while a further bank encloses both. On the easterly side only are traces of yet another bank and ditch dying out opposite the junction of the two forts. The intermediate bank has an entrance at the highest point of its curve and another at SE corner. The West fort is entered at the NW and NE corners; the East fort has an apparent entrance in the SE corner.
The West Fort has surface indications of several hut circles - the
large one near the NW entrance did not reveal any sign of occupation.
The inner rampart is made of an earth bank covered and held by a kind of stone pitching - it descends steeply, without a berm, to the rock cut ditch. Entrance at NE corner is 9' wide with massive kerb-stones to stop the bank spreading. The causeway is simply unexcavated rock. The intermediate bank consisted of a core of small boulders over which was thrown the ditch upcast.
The East Fort has a series of 3 low ruinous walls in NW quarter
consisting of erect stones approximately. 12 and a half feet apart with an infilling of smaller stones - not properly examined. A single sherd from one of the hut circles of the camp was of thick heavy ware, full of coarse grit - too minute to be dateable. (2-3)
The fort is situated on the highest part of Bewick Hill, the ground sloping away gently on all sides except the south where the descent is very steep and in places, precipitous. The situation, together with the strong nature of the artificial defences, indicates an Iron Age origin.
West Fort. Defences consist of two banks and ditches with original entrances on the east and west sides. The inner bank continues as a very slight rampart along the edge of the steep natural slopes to the south. There are four hut circles in the enclosed area, varying in diameter from 4.0m to 15.0m. There is no trace of the fifth as published on OS 26" (see plan).
East Fort. Defences consist of two banks and ditches with one original entrance to the SE. Along the edge of the natural slope to the south are traces of rough walling. In the enclosed area are traces of the three walls referred to in sources 3/4. There is one hut circle near the SE entrance but traces of what may be at least five others exist close to the inner rampart. There is also a circular rock-cut basin, the purpose of which was not ascertained. The small breaks in the west side of the banks of the fort are apparently modern.
The bank enclosing both forts varies in height from 0.3m to 1.2m, with the remains of an outer ditch with a maximum depth of 0.6m. Outside this is another outer defence, partly ploughed out, consisting of a bank and outer ditch. It is most complete at the east side where the bank has a maximum height of 1.0m and the ditch an average depth of 0.5m. Running east from the entrance at the south end of this outer bank is a hollow way 6.0m wide with an
average depth of 0.7m. This is apparently the feature referred to
in T3, no trace being found in the position indicated, which is a
precipitous slope.
The fort is situated on moorland with rough pasture and bracken. The nearest water supply consists of springs and small streams to the west, south and east. For plan and ground photographs see 5. See Dr K St Josephs Oblique APs 10 7 48 BG/1 BG/2 (4)
Listed as pre-Roman IA multivallate fort. The "Spectacle-like" works are, by excavation, contemporary, a later Romano-British settlement of round stone-built huts remains problematical from the recorded excavations. (5)
Published survey (25") revised. (6)
NU 075 216. Old Bewick. Listed in gazetteer as a multivallate hillfort covering 0.80ha. (7)
Additional reference. Not consulted. (8)
NU 075 216. Bewick Hill camp. Scheduled No. ND 87. (9)
An Iron Age multivallate hillfort and hut circles, and medieval/ post medieval banks and a hollow way are visible as earthworks on air photographs. The hillfort of Old Bewick, centred at NU 0750 2155, comprises two semicircular forts, together enclosed by a further bank. The western fort is defined by two wide ramparts. The outer rampart has breaks in parts and a narrower external ditch. The two entrances described by authority 2 (above) are visible at NU 0741 2158 and NU 0751 2156 and there are two interior hut circles, 7m and 17m in diameter, at NU 0745 2154 and NU 0743 2156. The eastern fort is also formed by two ramparts. No traces of the ditches described by authority 4 (above) were visible. The forts enclose areas of approximately 0.39ha and 0.4ha respectively.
The bank enclosing the forts is mutilated in places and to the west there are traces of an external ditch. Other linear features lying approximately 80m beyond the forts do not appear to be part of the Iron Age defences but probably relate to a bank running north-south which cuts the ditch of the outer rampart of the fort and is therefore later. A hollow way runs from the south-eastern corner of the fort east for a distance of 256m. (10-11)
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