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Summary

Circular earthwork, known as Round Hills, to the north-west of Ingoldsby. The exact date and function of this earthwork is not conclusively known, though interepretations as an Iron Age hillfort or possible medieval enclosure have been suggested.

Full description

Round Hills is a minor ringwork with bank and outer ditch, to the north-west of Ingoldsby. The exact date and function of this earthwork is not conclusively known, though interepretations as an Iron Age hillfort or enclosure, or possibly as a medieval enclosure have been suggested. Two worked flints were found at 'one of entrances'. Stray finds from the interior also include Roman and post-medieval pottery (see MLI33835 and MLI33836 respectively). {1}{2}{3}{4}

The earthwork encloses roughly 5 acres, and is situated c.330ft above sea level, in a commanding position with good all round visibility. There are signs of what may have been an original entrance on the east side. The bank is degraded on the south-west side and the interior has been deep ploughed, revelaing a heavy scatter of stone rubbk in the centre an north-east corner of the enclosure, thought to be later remains of post-medieval structures. Although originally scheduled as an Iron Age univallate hillfort, this interpretation is not conclusively held. Later interpretations have conjectured that the construction appears too slight to warrant Iron Age classification and that the earthwork has some resemblances to medieval enclosures elsewhere. {5}{6}{7}{8}{9}

An aerial photograph of 1933 shows the remains of medieval ridge and furrow within the enclosure, running along a north-west to south-east axis, and respecting the encircling bank. These remains would tend to suggest the earlier origin for this feature. Remains of smaller enclosures within the larger earthwork, appearing to lie on top of the ridge and furrow, and therefore later in date, were also noted. All of these internal features have since been removed by more recent agricultural activity. {10}

<1> Thomas Allen, 1834, The History of the County of Lincoln, From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, vol.2, p.274 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI883.

<2> C.W. Phillips, 1935, 'The Present State of Archaeology in Lincolnshire: Part 2' in the Archaeological Journal, vol.91, pp.102, 170 (Article in Serial). SLI323.

<3> DE LA BERE, 1932, LINCOLNSHIRE NOTES AND QUERIES, vol.22, pp.97-9 (Serial). SLI3889.

<4> HBMC, 1961, ANCIENT MONUMENTS IN ENGLAND AND WALES, - (Index). SLI2087.

<5> 1946-98, RCHME, 2349/8 (Aerial Photograph). SLI193.

<6> 1946-98, RCHME, 937/5 (1975) (Aerial Photograph). SLI193.

<7> 1946-98, RCHME, 1430/19 (1976) (Aerial Photograph). SLI193.

<8> Lincolnshire County Council, Sites and Monuments Record Card Index, SK 93 SE: E (Index). SLI2881.

<9> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Card Index, SK 93 SE: 10 (Index). SLI2344.

<10> Aerial Photograph, SK 9930/5 (02/07/1933) (Aerial Photograph). SLI89.

Monument Types

• ENCLOSURE? (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
• HILLFORT? (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)

Associated Finds

• LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Later Prehistoric - 4000 BC to 42 AD)

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument

Sources and further reading

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