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Summary

A promontory fort of likely Iron Age date containing a further, probably earlier, enclosure. It occupies an elevated position at the tip of the spur between the East Okement River and the Moor Brook. The southern and eastern sides of the site are formed by precipitous slopes that fall into wooded gorges while the west and northwest are delimited by a well-defined rampart and ditch pierced by a single entrance. The highest point within the fort, the SE quadrant, is occupied by the earlier enclosure which does not possess an entrance. Traces of ridge and furrow are visible in the southern part of the interior. Surveyed at 1:1000.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1003873: Camp SE of Okehampton

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX69SW1
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 444130
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX69SW/13
• Old SAM County Ref: 105

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HILLFORT (Constructed, Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2200 BC? (Between) to 42 AD (Between))

Full description

Worth, R. N., 1895, Okehampton Beginnings, 106-107 (Article in Serial). SDV271183.

Earthwork on crest of hill above east Okehampton is the remnant of a hillfort. It consists of the tongue of the headland bounded on two sides by the ravines of Moor brook and the east Okement, cut off from the main hill by a strong earthen vallum and fosse. Original entrance at SW corner in narrow angle between the vallums and Moor Brook ravine.

Baring Gould, S., 1900, A Book of Dartmoor, 97,155 (Monograph). SDV277387.

Victoria County History, 1906, The Victoria History of the County of Devon, 578, plan, section (Article in Serial). SDV238214.

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 222 (Monograph). SDV320981.

Ancient Monuments, 1924, Schedule note (Schedule Document). SDV224280.

(March 1924) Promontory fortress by Okehampton on the most northern part of Dartmoor in the angle formed by the confluence of Moor Brook with the East Okement about 1609m south-east of Okehampton. The area is irregular but roughly triangular, and is marked out by the Moor Brook on the south, the East Okement on the east and north. On the south and east the promontory is protected by the streams and the sharp declivity of the rocks. Towards the north there is a gradual ascent from the East Okement, but this land has been cultivated and there is evidence that part of the earthwork on this side has been destroyed. The present earthwork consists of 2 bow shaped portions separated by an interval which was evidently the chief entrance. Probably a smaller entrance also existed on the south west corner. The distance from the bottom of the fosse to the top of the vallum varies from 3.658m to 4.572m. The southern rampart is about 2.438m, and the northern slightly less.
No excavations are known of, and surface searches have yielded nothing. Rampart at a in the southern section was composed of earth and stones. There is a ditch of U-shaped section in excavation trench B in the southern part of the entrance; the only find was a rough scraper of slate. Some distance west of the main earthwork are a group of mounds together with 1 or 2 shallow depressions, each surrounded by a low bank.

Pilkington-Rogers, C. W, 1932, The Date of the Dartmoor Antiquities, 385 fig (Article in Serial). SDV149513.

Brailsford, J. W., 1937-1947, Article, 86-91 (Article in Serial). SDV224289.

In 1939 J. W. Brailsford opened a trench in the entrance to the camp and cut a section through the rampart. The ditch was max 20 feet wide and 8 feet deep, the rampart 27 feet wide and survived to 6'6" height above the turf line preserved underneath. The entrance was revetted with a well made drystone wall, up to eleven courses high in one place. Some sort of palisade lay partially across the entrance. No definite dating evidence was recovered during the excavation, the only find being a rough slate scraper ().

Anon, 1939, Okehampton promontory fort, interim report, 253 (Article in Serial). SDV224292.

A small promontory fort comprising a single rampart and ditch. Excavated in August 1939, when no dateable material was found. A cutting and clearance of the south side of the entrance revealed the rampart to be 27 feet wide and 6.5 feet above the old turf line. It was composed of stones and earth with a dry stone revetment wall. The u-shaped outer ditch was about 20 feet wide and 8 feet deep. Some distance west of the main earthwork lay a group of mounds with one or two banked shallow depressions. A section across one, 15 feet in diameter, yielded nothing.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1995, 3193-4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV224714.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1974, SX69SW1 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV224293.

(23/07/1974) An Iron Age defended settlement compromising a cross-ridge bank and ditch with a simple central entrance. The work crosses a steep sided spur enclosing just over two hectares of fairly level high ground. It is well preserved.
Published 1/2500 survey revised.
Dense bracken prevented the location of the mounds and depressions mentioned by Brailsford. These may be the result of surface quarrying.

Timms, S. C., 1976, The Devon Urban Survey, 1976. First Draft, 158 (Report - Survey). SDV341346.

Greeves, T. A. P., 1978, Archaeological Sites within Okehampton Park and its Vicinity, No A.5 (Un-published). SDV233126.

(27/12/1977) The camp at Halstock is remarkably impressive. There is a large outer earthwork, and one can also trace an inner earthwork enclosing a smaller area.

National Monument Record, 1979, NMR SF1507, 423, 425 (Aerial Photograph). SDV221867.

Austin, D. + Daggett, R. H. + Walker, M. J. C., 1980, Farms and fields in Okehampton Park, 42 (Article in Serial). SDV324998.

Northern defences levelled by ploughing.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Visible and recorded.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, DAP/FY, 1-3a (Aerial Photograph). SDV344291.

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 (DNPA Copy), 33 (Monograph). SDV360402.

Probert, S. A. J., 2000, East Hill / Halstock Camp, Okehampton Hamlets (Report - Survey). SDV224306.

(01/11/2000) A small promontory fort of presumed Iron Age origin and set within it is a small enclosure of uncertain date. It occupies an elevated position at the tip of the spur between the East Okement River and the Moor Brook. This area of open moorland forms the northern extremity of Dartmoor. The north-facing hillslopes descend steeply to the outskirts of Okehampton. The rivers Okement and Moor Brook have scoured deep gorges in the moorland plateau to the south thus isolating a relatively small spit of land from the Dartmoor massif.
The southern and eastern sides of the site area are formed by precipitous slopes that fall into wooded gorges. The west and northwest sides are delimited by a well-defined rampart and ditch pierced by a single entrance. The northern half of the site was enclosed by a wall between 1885 and 1905 during which time the area suffered considerable plough damage.
The highest point within the fort, the south-eastern quadrant, is divided from the remainder by a spread stoney scarp. Though no relationships survive between this and the main earthwork it would seem likely that this constitutes an earlier occupation of the promontory. Traces of ridge and furrow are visible in the southern part of the interior.
The enclosed half of the site lies under close-cropped grass while the remainder is largely bracken and gorse-covered. Some clearance of thorn and gorse from the area of the rampart has been undertaken on behalf of the Dartmoor National Park Authority in advance of a detailed survey to assist in the interpretation and future management of the site.
The survey was carried out at a scale of 1:1000 during November 2000 by staff from the English Heritage Archaeology and Survey Division Exeter Office.

Probert, S. A. J., 2004, Okehampton Castle and Park, West Devon: Survey Report (Report - Survey). SDV324949.

(11/11/2003) No change to this feature since the 2000 survey description.

Ralston, I. + Lock, G., 2017, Atlas of Hillforts (Website). SDV360888.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV5917 - SCRAPER (TOOL) (Prehistoric - 698000 BC to 42 AD?)

Associated Events

• EDV3474 - Earthwork survey of Okehampton Castle and Park
• EDV8551 - Excavation at hillfort, Okehampton Park

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