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Summary

Wasteberry Camp Iron Age hillfort comprises three lines of earthwork bank and ditched ramparts and is situated on a prominent hilltop at Warren Wood. A steep-sided valley defines the east, south and southwest extent of the hillfort. The earthworks are visible on visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020160: Iron Age hillfort known as Wasteberry Camp, medieval deer park and post-medieval warren, 800m north west of Lyneham House
• SHINE: Wasteberry Camp. Iron Age hillfort east of Hareston Cross

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438459
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX55SE/13
• Old SAM County Ref: 385
• Old SAM Ref: 33794
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX55SE 1

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

NMR, SX5753, 1-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV340482.

Unknown, 1839, Plympton St Mary RD (Cartographic). SDV340479.

Field names to the west of the camp include the element 'Burrow', ie, Field Nos 881, 882,884,828. Field No.883 is called 'Wasteberry'. Tithe Map suggests a warren occupied the site of the hillfort at some time.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1955, SX55SE1 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV340477.

Two outer defences, separated by circa 61 metres, consist of high banks (circa 4-5 metres), external ditches and low counterscarp banks. The innermost defences, a further 45 metres within consist of a bank 1.8 metres high (maximum). Earthwork in good condition, though some plough damage. The inner defences have been cut back and revetted in modern times, and encroached upon by the boundary of Lyneham Deerpark (citing Woolner letter). Other details: Plan.

Woolner, D. + Woolner, A., 1956, Waste Berry, Brixton, 86-9 (Article in Serial). SDV340476.

Waste Berry, earthwork, an important Iron Age B stronghold, which has 3 half-oval lines of contour defences which stop short of the precipitous end of the spur of land on which it is set. Main approach from the west on the line of the present cart-track and field gates. May have been a second approach from the south leading up from the stream. Description given of the three defence lines. A small ruined cottage of the 17th century within the earthworks. Probably a game-keeper's lodge in the warren.

Cambridge University, 1973, CUC/BMB, 88-92 (Aerial Photograph). SDV340484.

Other details: BMB 88 in HER.

Unknown, 1977, 7913 (Aerial Photograph). SDV340485.

Department of Environment, 1979, Waste Berry Camp (Schedule Document). SDV340478.

A large hillfort of southwest type. Defended by two lines of rampart and ditch 45 metres apart on north and west sides, with natural defences on south and east. Massive ramparts (10 and 14 metres on the scarp) with large counterscarp bank to inner line. West entrance marked by a knobbing and inturning of rampart ends and a low bank flanking the causeway across the inner ditch. Third enclosure identified with the deerpark. Ditch is grassland used for grazing. Top mainly grass, some trees. Banks tree covered. Large trees on inner bank and scarp. Although mineral rights sold, quarrying here unlikely. Other details: Monument 385.

Balaam, N. + Smith, K. + Wainwright, G., 1982, Unknown, 263 (Article in Serial). SDV260579.

Robinson, R., 1983, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1983 (Un-published). SDV345762.

Department of Environment Field Monument Warden site visit on 22nd November 1983.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, Untitled Source (Personal Comment). SDV343352.

Visited on 14th May 1986 with R. Robinson. Site in excellent condition. Inner enclosure has recently been cleared of scrub. Outer areas (in separate ownership) are under cultivation, but at present ramparts stable.

Griffith, F. M., 1992, DAP/US, 1, 2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV340486.

Miller, A., 1995, Untitled Source (Interpretation). SDV339108.

Visited on 8th August 1995. Aerial photographs suggest that the area between the first and second lines as being ploughed in 1992.

Fox, A., 1996, Prehistoric Hillforts in Devon, 54-5 (Monograph). SDV7958.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5753; SX5754 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

Curvilinear earthworks of ditches and banks are visible.

Exeter Archaeology, 2000, Archaeological Assessment of a Proposed New Settlement Site, Brixton, South Hams, 2 & 14 (Report - Assessment). SDV324147.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2002, Iron Age Hillfort Known As Wasteberry Camp, Medieval Deer Park and Post-medieval Warren, 800 Metres North-west of Lyneham House (Schedule Document). SDV343355.

Iron Age hillfort known as Wasteberry Camp. Three lines of ramparts defend the level approaches on the north and west sides of the spur and are from 15 metres to 40 metres apart, separated by mainly level areas, sloping gently down at their south and east ends. The outer rampart survives mainly as an abrupt scarp, falling between 1and 3 metres into the outer ditch, which varies from 5 to 10 metres wide and is up to 1 metre deep, with a counterscarp bank up to 10 metres wide and 0.3 metres high. The entrance lies to the north-west with an inturned bank on its north side and a massive southern bank, thickening up to 8 metres wide, rising 2 metres from the interior and falling between 4 and 5 metres to the ditch. At the south end, the gap between the outer and middle ramparts is closed by a slight scarp, falling away to the south. The middle rampart's bank measures from 10 to 18 metres wide, rising 1 metre from the interior and falling 3 metres to an external ditch 6 metres wide and from 0.4 to 1 metre deep. A counterscarp bank on the west side measures 21 metres wide and falls 2.5 metres at its south end, to a second ditch 8 metres wide and 0.2 metres deep. This counterscarp quickly disappears north of the entrance, which is in line with that in the outer rampart. Here, a causeway 20 metres wide crosses the ditch, with the inner bank widening to 18 metres, with plain terminals. A possible second entrance at the south end of the rampart is marked by a thickening of the terminal. Much of the inner rampart is very slight, its bank measuring 4 metres wide and 1.7 metres high with traces of an outer ditch 10 metres wide and 0.2 metres deep. The entrance is in the same position as the others, but is very slight in appearance. East of this, the north rampart widens to 9 metres and is 3 metres high at one point, but decreases in size towards its east end, where it turns to the south for a short distance, following the steep east side of the fort. No ramparts are present on the steep natural valley sides. The inner rampart has been remodelled to form part of the pale for Lyneham Deer Park. Other details: Monument 33794.

Scott Wilson, 2006, Sherford New Community: Environmental Statement, Table 9.1.1 (Report - Assessment). SDV340472.

Other details: Site 94.

Copp, A., 2007, Land at Langage Park, Plympton, Devon. Archaeological Appraisal (Report - Assessment). SDV339658.

Jack, S. + Steadman, S., 2007, Sherford New Community: Environmental Statement - Cultural Heritage, Table 9.6 (Report - Assessment). SDV340474.

Other details: Site 94.

English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009: South West, 106 (Report - non-specific). SDV342694.

Generally unsatisfactory condition with major localised problems. Principal vulnerability collapse.

English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010: South West, 99 (Report - non-specific). SDV344777.

English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011: South West, 104 (Report - non-specific). SDV355280.

Generally unsatisfactory condition with major localised problems. Declining. Principal vulnerability collapse.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Earthworks of curvilinear banks and ditches associated with Wasteberry Camp are visible on visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017, on a prominent hilltop position at Warren Wood. The Late Iron Age fort comprises three lines of ramparts which follow the contours of the moderate north, northwest and west facing slopes of the hilltop. The ramparts extend up to a steep sided valley which defines the east, south and southwest extent of the hillfort. The bank and ditched ramparts typically measure between 8m and 17m wide. Two entrance-ways, between 5m and 10m wide, are clearly visible within the outer two ramparts to the northwest, although evidence of a corresponding entrance within the inner-most rampart is not clearly visible. The outer rampart encloses an area of circa 3.85 hectares and the inner rampart circa 0.70 hectares. The eastern extent of the three ramparts and also the inner rampart itself have evidently been modified and incorporated into a medieval deer pale associated with Lyneham deer park (MDV13507). As a consequence of this, it has not been possible to clearly define which elements of the visible earthworks are associated with this hillfort and which elements are associated with the medieval park pale. Earthworks here have, therefore, been simply assigned to this monument record. Earthworks of Wasteberry Camp are not visible on other available aerial imagery owing to dense tree cover.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4380 - Assessment for Sherford New Community
• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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