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Summary

A single ditched hillfort of probable Iron Age date, visible as a rampart flanked earthwork ditch on aerial photographs and digital images derived from lidar data on Stoke Hill, north of Exeter.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1003841: Stoke Hill camp
• SHINE: Iron Age hillfort, possible Bronze Age barrow and section of historic parish boundary and ridgeway on Stoke Hill

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX99NW/7
• Old SAM County Ref: 249
• Pastscape: 448195

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HILLFORT (Iron Age - 700 BC to 42 AD (Between))

Full description

Fox, A., Bolt Tail Camp (Ground Photograph). SDV140301.

Negative of Stoke Hill from Aileen Fox Collection.

Department of Environment, Stoke Hill Camp (Schedule Document). SDV336953.

Stoke Hill Camp - a small hillfort of the early iron age, single bank and ditch and entrance with clubbed terminals on east side. The defences have been ploughed down on the south side but are well preserved in the belt of trees to the north and west. Its nearness to Exeter makes scheduling necessary to protect it from building developments.

Woollcombe, H., 1839-1850, Woollcombe Manuscript (Un-published). SDV16214.

Visited on 8th February 1841. information taken from short: semi-circular enclosure diameter 256 feet. Two ramparts, internal one probably modern. Damage on southeast side.

Oliver, G., 1846, Monasticon Diocesis Exoniensis, 301 (Monograph). SDV57424.

Wall, J. C., 1906, Ancient Earthworks, 610 (Article in Monograph). SDV341465.

Other details: Plan.

Rose-Troup, F., 1934 - 1935, Brihtricestan, a lost manor, 155 & 234 (Article in Serial). SDV336952.

Oliver suggests that a medieval reference to "Castrom de Rokysdon" can be identified with this site.

Ralegh Radford, C. A., 1937 - 1947, Stoke Hill Camp, 24 (Article in Serial). SDV336951.

Stoke Hill Iron Age Camp. Single ramparted enclosure, 549 meters north of the site of a Roman signal station (see PRN 10188). Small-scale excavation by Ralegh Radford in 1935 showed that it had been occupied in the 1st century AD. Sherd of 1st century Roman pottery found. Traces of partly smelted or melted iron-stone and slag found. Other details: Figs 1-3.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1995, RAF/CPE/UK/1995 RP 4151-4156 13-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV354842.

Stoke Hill hillfort was visible as earthwork banks and ditches.

Fox, J., 1953, A possible Roman signal station in Devon, 239-40 (Article in Serial). SDV336939.

Fox, A. + Ravenhill, W, 1959, Stoke Hill Signal Station, 72 (Article in Serial). SDV336933.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1962, SX99NW18 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV336954.

On the south side the rampart has been ploughed down and is only visible in places. To the north it is represented by a hedge bank. The original entrance, much mutilated appears to have been to the east. Break in rampart to west is probably modern. Interior featureless. Other details: Plan & photograph.

Fairy Surveys Ltd, 1964, FSL/6412 V, FSL/6412 V 1104-1105 07-FEB-1964 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357115.

Stoke Hill hillfort was visible as earthwork banks and ditches.

Griffith, F. M., 1979, DAP/G, 2.1 & 3.1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV336941.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1982, SX99NW19 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV336931.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/DP, 5-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDV47323.

Griffith, F. M., 1990, DAP/PZ, 14-15 (Aerial Photograph). SDV336956.

West, S. + West, M. N., 1993, Stoke Hill Camp (Site Visit). SDV336955.

Visted on 31st July 1993. Entance fairly featureless, eroded by passage of farm machinery & animals. Northeast quarter of ramparts are best preserved with inner rampart standing up to 0.5 meters & the ditch up to 2.5 meters deep. Apart from the eastrn entrance the site appears to have changed little in 30 years. Visited on 14th August 1993. All 4 fields under pasture with mature trees. Undergrowth thick on northern ramparts. Small bank outside ramparts to southeast is barely visible. Eastern entrance shows no traces of overlapping ramparts; bank on south side much degraded.

Horner, B., 1995, DAP/YZ, 6-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDV336957.

Grant, N., 1995, The Occupation of Hillforts in Devon during the Late Roman and Post Roman Periods, 104 (Article in Serial). SDV7954.

Fox, A., 1996, Prehistoric Hillforts in Devon, 53 (Monograph). SDV7958.

Quinnell, H., 1998, Later Prehistoric Pottery Survey (Report - Survey). SDV336212.

2 sherds of uncertain later Prehistoric date pot recovered during excavation. Also non-ceramic slag. Current location is not known. Other details: DBID:3222.

Environment Agency, 1998-2014, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution), LIDAR SX9295 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014 (Cartographic). SDV359177.

Stoke Hill hillfort was visible as earthwork banks and ditches.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2014-2015, East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV356883.

A single ditched hillfort of probable Iron Age date was visible as a rampart flanked earthwork ditch on aerial photographs and digital images derived from lidar data on Stoke Hill, north of Exeter.
The visible ditch appears to be between 6 and 9 metres wide flanked, on the south side of the enclosure, by spread earthwork ramparts of similar width. On the north side of the enclosure only a single, internal bank was visible, topped by an extant field boundary. The earthworks enclosed an oval area approximately 205 metres long and 110 metres wide.

Tilley, C., 2017, Landscape in the Longue Durée, 299-319, tables 9.1-9.5, figs 9.7-9.17 (Monograph). SDV361032.

Historic England, 2019, National Heritage List for England, 1003841 (National Heritage List for England). SDV362730.

Stoke Hill Camp, a slight univallate hillfort.
Summary
A univallate hillfort of Iron Age date.
Reasons for Designation
The slight univallate hillfort known as Stoke Hill Camp is scheduled for the following principal reasons:
* Survival: despite reduction in the height of the rampart through historic cultivation, the monument survives comparatively well; * Potential: since only a small part of the hillfort has been excavated the site will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, use and landscape context, as well as the social organisation of the area during the prehistoric period; * Rarity: slight univallate hillforts are rare, there being only about 150 examples surviving nationally; * Group value: located some 275m south-west of the hillfort is a Roman signal station (scheduled monument), and these two sites together demonstrate the strategic importance of this area during the Iron Age and Roman periods. .
History
Slight univallate hillforts are defined as enclosures of various shapes, generally between 1ha and 10ha in size, situated on or close to hilltops and defined by a single line of earthworks, the scale of which is relatively small. They date to between the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age (6th century BC and the mid-1st century AD), the majority being used for a period of some 150 to 200 years prior to their abandonment or reconstruction. They have generally been interpreted as stock enclosures, redistribution centres, places of refuge and permanent settlements. The earthworks generally include a rampart, narrow level berm, external ditch and counterscarp bank, while access to the interior is usually provided by two entrances comprising either simple gaps in the earthwork or inturned ramparts. Internal features include timber or stone round houses; storage pits and hearths; stake holes and gullies; also the post holes of square or rectangular buildings interpreted as raised granaries.
The univallate hillfort, Stoke Hill Camp, is situated on a prominent ridge overlooking the valleys of the Exe and the Culm to the north, and approximately 275m to the south-west is the site of a Roman signal station (scheduled monument). The hillfort is documented in the mid-C19, and one source (Oliver, 1845) links the hillfort to a medieval reference to ‘Castrom de Rokysdon’. A small-scale excavation was undertaken in 1935 and the few finds which were recovered indicate that the hillfort was occupied during the 1st century AD. It was designated a scheduled monument in 1950. In the early C21 an assessment of aerial photographs and lidar-derived images as part of the National Mapping Programme project (see Sources) provided evidence that some of the hillfort earthworks extended just beyond the scheduled area. In 2018 a geophysical survey carried out by the University of Exeter identified buried archaeological features within the interior.
Details
PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS: the monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a slight univallate hillfort situated on a prominent ridge overlooking the valleys of the Rivers Exe and Culm.
DESCRIPTION: the hillfort is oval on plan, measuring up to 205m north-east to south-west and 110m north-west to south-east internally. Although the enclosing ditch has become partially infilled over the years, it remains visible up to 2.5m deep and some 6-9m wide except for part of the western section. Although it has been degraded by previous ploughing activities, the lidar imagery provides evidence for an outer rampart on the southern side of the hillfort. Along the north side a single, internal bank is visible, up to 0.5m high, which is best preserved surmounted by a field boundary. There is a simple entrance on the east side. The early-C21 geophysical survey identified a number of buried features within the interior, including pits or large post holes and several curvilinear features in the south-western half of the site which have been interpreted as the evidence of possible hut circles. A linear feature, aligned north-east to south-west, which appears to divide the hillfort longitudinally was also visible, but does not appear to correspond with any historic boundary crossing the site. The 1935 excavation recovered several pottery sherds from the 1st century AD. Evidence for partly-smelted or melted ironstone and slag was also found, and a single sherd of Roman pottery.
EXCLUSIONS: all fence posts are excluded from the scheduling, but the ground beneath these features is, however, included.
EXTENT OF SCHEDULING: the scheduling aims to protect the known full extent of the hillfort, including its outer and inner banks, the ditch and interior. The maximum extent of the monument is 260m south-west to north-east by 160m north-west to south-east. A 5m margin is included for the support and protection of the monument.
Date first listed: 12th November 1950. Date of most recent amendment: 11th January 2019

Historic England, 2019, Stoke Hill Camp, a slight univallate hillfort, 145m south-west of Stoke Hill Farm, Pennsylvania Road, Exeter (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV362762.

Notification that the entry for Stoke Hill Camp has been amended on the Schedule of Monuments.
Background
Following the completion of an interpretive aerial photographic survey of East and Mid Devon Historic England has been assessing the scheduled monument, Stoke Hill Camp for amendment.
Discussion
Hillforts are amongst the most striking of all archaeological monuments in England; their hilltop locations and often massive earthworks make a very powerful statement to the modern observer about the organisation, manual skills, labour and beliefs of Iron Age peoples over 2000 years ago. About 800 BC, during the transition period between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age (800 BC – 43 AD) many univallate hillforts were built, seemingly dominating district territories. It is in tracing this transition, spatial distribution and regional variation between different areas of England that the historical importance of univallate hillforts lies. In many cases the large area covered by each hillfort makes the potential for the recovery of archaeological information very high.
The national importance of the univallate hillfort known as Stoke Hill Camp was recognised when the site was
designated a scheduled monument in 1950. Slight univallate hillforts are rare nationally, although in Devon they comprise one of the major classes of hillfort. They are important for understanding the transition between Bronze Age and Iron Age communities. Stoke Hill Camp is a relatively well-preserved hillfort, despite a reduction in the height of the rampart through cultivation. The small-scale excavation in the 1930s was confined to a trial trench through the south-eastern defences and extending towards the interior. It produced only limited finds, although these did indicate 1st century AD occupation, while the more recent geophysical survey in 2018 provided some evidence for surviving features within the interior. It is considered, therefore, that there is strong archaeological potential remaining for further investigation and that the hillfort will retain important archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, use and landscape context.
The National Mapping Project in Devon (NMP, Historic England and Devon County Council) has helped to enhance the existing records of Stoke Hill Camp, providing additional information about the extent of its defences. It has demonstrated that parts of the outer bank extend outside the scheduled area on the north-east and south-east sides and it is recommended, therefore, that the area of protection should be amended slightly to more accurately reflect the known extent of nationally-important archaeological remains.
In addition the opportunity has been taken to update the List entry to fully describe the hillfort and its national
importance.
CONCLUSION
After examining all the records and other relevant information and having carefully considered the archaeological interest of this case, the List entry for Stoke Hill Camp should be amended.
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION
The List entry for Stoke Hill Camp, a slight univallate hillfort, 145m south-west of Stoke Hill Farm, Exeter is
recommended for amendment for the following principal reasons:
* Clarity: to fully describe the monument and its national importance;
* New information: the area of protection should be amended to more accurately reflect the known extent of nationally-important archaeological remains.
See report for full details.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV140301	Ground Photograph: Fox, A.. Bolt Tail Camp. Photograph (Paper).
SDV16214	Un-published: Woollcombe, H.. 1839-1850. Woollcombe Manuscript. Manuscript.
SDV336212	Report - Survey: Quinnell, H.. 1998. Later Prehistoric Pottery Survey. Later Prehistoric Pottery Survey. A4 Spiral Bound.
SDV336931	Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. 1982. SX99NW19. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card. Card Index.
SDV336933	Article in Serial: Fox, A. + Ravenhill, W. 1959. Stoke Hill Signal Station. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 91. A5 Hardback. 72.
SDV336939	Article in Serial: Fox, J.. 1953. A possible Roman signal station in Devon. Antiquity. 108. Unknown. 239-40.
SDV336941	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1979. DAP/G. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 2.1 & 3.1.
SDV336951	Article in Serial: Ralegh Radford, C. A.. 1937 - 1947. Stoke Hill Camp. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Exploration Society. 3. A5 Paperback. 24.
SDV336952	Article in Serial: Rose-Troup, F.. 1934 - 1935. Brihtricestan, a lost manor. Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries. 18. Unknown. 155 & 234.
SDV336953	Schedule Document: Department of Environment. Stoke Hill Camp. The Schedule of Monuments. Letter.
SDV336954	Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. 1962. SX99NW18. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card. Card Index.
SDV336955	Site Visit: West, S. + West, M. N.. 1993. Stoke Hill Camp. Worksheet.
SDV336956	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1990. DAP/PZ. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 14-15.
SDV336957	Aerial Photograph: Horner, B.. 1995. DAP/YZ. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 6-8.
SDV341465	Article in Monograph: Wall, J. C.. 1906. Ancient Earthworks. Victoria History of the County of Devon. Hardback Volume. 610.
SDV354842	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1995. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1995 RP 4151-4156 13-APR-1947.
SDV356883	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2014-2015. East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV357115	Aerial Photograph: Fairy Surveys Ltd. 1964. FSL/6412 V. Fairy Surveys Ltd aerial photograph. Photograph (Paper). FSL/6412 V 1104-1105 07-FEB-1964.
SDV359177	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2014. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution). Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR SX9295 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 30-SEP-2014. [Mapped feature: #61491 ]
SDV361032	Monograph: Tilley, C.. 2017. Landscape in the Longue Durée. Landscape in the Longue Durée. Digital. 299-319, tables 9.1-9.5, figs 9.7-9.17.
SDV362730	National Heritage List for England: Historic England. 2019. National Heritage List for England. Historic Houses Register. Digital. 1003841.
SDV362762	List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest: Historic England. 2019. Stoke Hill Camp, a slight univallate hillfort, 145m south-west of Stoke Hill Farm, Pennsylvania Road, Exeter. Notification of Amendment to List. Digital.
SDV47323	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1984. DAP/DP. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 5-6.
SDV57424	Monograph: Oliver, G.. 1846. Monasticon Diocesis Exoniensis. Monasticon Diocesis Exoniensis. Unknown. 301.
SDV7954	Article in Serial: Grant, N.. 1995. The Occupation of Hillforts in Devon during the Late Roman and Post Roman Periods. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 53. Paperback Volume. 104.
SDV7958	Monograph: Fox, A.. 1996. Prehistoric Hillforts in Devon. Prehistoric Hillforts in Devon. Paperback Volume. 53.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)

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