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Summary

A slight univallate Iron Age hillfort, which survives as an oval enclosure defined by a rampart, on the south face of a hilltop west of Dartmouth.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019783: Woodbury Camp
• SHINE: Woodbury Camp. Iron Age hillfort south west of Woodbury Farm

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX85SW/3
• Old SAM County Ref: 324
• Old SAM Ref: 33769
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX85SW 8

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

Oval in shape, single bank and ditch disected by hedge line. Damaged on west side. Plan in manuscript.

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

Hillfort visible. The rampart and ditch are particularly around the western side of the hillfort.

Ministry of Works, 1953, Woodbury Camp (Schedule Document). SDV343495.

A hill-top Early Iron Age fort, defended by a single rampart and ditch. These are well preserved on the north side, measuring 80 feet overall, rampart 15 feet above bottom of ditch, and 10 feet above interior. On the remaining three sides, the defences have been levelled and ploughed over but the whole circuit is visible. The original entrances can no longer be detected: two are marked by Ordnance Survey on north-west and east, and both seem likely. Other details: Map.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1961, SX85SW 8 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV337977.

Woodbury Farm. Remains of an iron age hillfort named Woodbury Camp. Situated on the summit of a hill giving an excellent all round view. Natural slopes not very steep and of little defensive value. Earthworks consist of single bank and ditch but only northern side, which forms division between two fields, is in good state of preservation. The remainder has been reduced by ploughing, but, except for the south-east quarter, it is still clearly visible. Original entrance not obvious but may have been in south-east corner. Gap in north-west corner is probably modern. Although much mutilated, this earthwork is recognizable as a typical univallate iron age hillfort. Other details: Plan.

National Monuments Record, 1980, Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV172851.

Aerial photograph shows western side to be virtually ploughed out: bank and ditch visible as pale and dark marks only.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/CS, 7-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDV337980.

Snell, R., 1986, Green Lanes in Devon Project (Un-published). SDV8442.

Griffith, F. M., 1989, DAP/OM, 14-15 (Aerial Photograph). SDV337981.

Griffith, F. M., 1989, Untitled Source, 9-11 (Aerial Photograph). SDV177200.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2001, Woodbury Camp (Schedule Document). SDV337979.

A slight univallate hillfort, located on the south face of a hilltop overlooking a deep valley west of Dartmouth. It commands a high and prominent location with extensive local views. The monument survives as an oval enclosure defined by a rampart. It is aligned from east to west, its interior measuring 160 metres long by 110 metres wide, cut into two unequal parts by a hedgebank which passes from north west to south east. Two faint earthwork terraces 3 metres wide and up to 0.3 metres high are visible on the west side of the interior. On the eastern side of the interior, a natural hollow 40 metres wide contains an intermittent spring. The ramparts are best preserved on the north side, where the bank is 11 metres wide, rising up to 1.8 metres from the interior and falling 3.5 metres to an outer ditch 14 metres wide with a slight counterscarp bank 4 metres wide by 0.2 metres high. The other ramparts have been ploughed regularly since at least 1945, that on the west end surviving between 15 metres and 22 metres wide, rising up to 0.7 metres from the interior and falling 1.6 metres to the ditch. This ditch is 7 metres wide by 0.8 metres deep, with a counterscarp bank 13 metres wide by up to 0.3 metres high. The southern and eastern ramparts are less well preserved, with the bank visible as a change in the slope from 8 metres to 13 metres wide and up to 1.5 metres high. The position of the outer ditch is marked by a terrace 8 metres wide. Its outer edge slopes away, for a further 11 metres, falling 0.6 metres to the natural slope. Two entrances are visible. On the south side, a reduction in rampart height to 0.4 metres coincides with a faint hornwork projecting from the rampart to the east. This is 10 metres wide by up to 0.3 metres high and projects 30 metres from the rampart. A reduction in rampart height on the south-west side of the hillfort suggests a later entrance, cut through the earthworks. Other details: Map.

McConnell, R., 2006, Part of former Heliport site, Townstal Road, Dartmouth: an archaeological desk-based assessment, 4 (Report - Assessment). SDV337976.

Remains of a slight iron age univallate hillfort known as Woodbury Camp.

English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009: South West, 110 (Report - non-specific). SDV342694.

Extensive significant problems. Principal vulnerability arable ploughing.

English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010: South West, 103 (Report - non-specific). SDV344777.

English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011: South West, 107 (Report - non-specific). SDV355280.

Extensive significant problems. Stable. Principal vulnerability arable ploughing.

Griffith, F. M. + Wilkes, E. M., 2011, In the Footsteps of Pioneering Women; Some Recent Work on Devon Hillforts (Article in Serial). SDV361500.

Horner, B., 2011, RAF (1946-9) Aerial Photos with Marked Features (Aerial Photograph). SDV352507.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4194 - Heliport Site, Townstal Road, Dartmouth

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