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BURRINGTON CAMP

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A probable Iron Age univallate hillfort or religious enclosure, known a Burrington Camp. The hillfort is located on Burrington Ham and is sub-rectangular defined by a bank and ditch. The hillfort appears to be constructed in two phases.

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[ST 4782 5878] Burrington Camp [G.T]. (1)

'... A small univallate hill-fort...'. (2)

Occupying a site sloping to the edge of a gorge & overlooked
by a height to the S.E. The rampart encloses an oval area 350'
x 275': in the S. it continues in a weaker form until it
disappears in the slope, forming part of an inturned entrance.
In the N.W. are some traces of another bank running from the cliff
edge to the enceinte. Excavations, 1960, showed that 'the site
was never occupied, even as a cattle kraal'. (3-5)

Plan see AO/LP/63/174 (6)
Burrington Camp consists in the main of a bank between two
ditches. The entrance is in the NE. The purpose of the two arms
in the SW and NE is obscure.
This is a non-defensive work and is an enclosure rather than a
hill-fort.

Published survey (1/2500) revised. (7)

It is given an Iron Age date by Grinsell and Burrow, and
Tratman notes the "single rampart of dump construction, with
a berm between it and the rather flat bottomed outer ditch,
(having) a resemblance to the form of construction used by the
Iron Age, Third Western B, people"; Tratman, though, also
notes that the weak defences against the sling or javelin could
indicate a Bronze Age date.

Tratman and Burrow note Allcroft's (4) assertion that the inner
ditch could indicate that the site had religious associations. (8-10)
Additional references (11-12)

The hillfort or enclosure referred to by the above authority is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and has been mapped as part of the Mendip AONB NMP project. The hillfort appears to have been constructed in at least two phases. The main rampart or bank with its outer ditch is clearly defined in a reversed L-shape extending from ST3773 5872 eastwards to ST 4784 5871 and then northwards to ST 4788 5888 and is the probable first phase of construction. The only entrance is located at ST 4787 5880 and here the northern bank is inturned. The second phase comprises the north, west and part of the south side. The bank here is smaller, less well defined and comprises an inner ditch instead of an outer ditch; the inner ditch also appears on the south side abutting the main rampart and continues along the east side of the enclosure.

Two parallel internal banks at ST 4780 5880 and ST 4779 5877 are also visible within the enclosure extending E-W. The banks are possibly later in date and may not relate to the enclosure as they cut the inner ditch on the west side. Their purpose or function is unknown. (1-2)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1961.

( 2) General reference

Arch. of Wessex, 1958,p.165. (L.V.Grinsell)

( 3) General reference

V.C.H.Somer, 2, 1911, pp.483-4. plan.

( 4) General reference

Earthwork of Eng., 1908, pp.582-4, plan. (A.Allcroft)

( 5) General reference

U.B.S.S.,Circular to Members Sept.,1960.(E.V.Gilbert)

( 6) General reference

Plan by J.H.Crickmay and others June,1949.

( 7) Field Investigators Comments

F1 JP 19-APR-66

( 8) General reference

Proc Univ Bristol Spel Soc 10 1962-3 16-21 plan section (E K Tratman)

( 9) General reference

Prehist Sites in Mendip etc Field Gd 1 1966 (L V Grinsell)

(10) General reference

BAR 91 1981 Hillfort & Hilltop Sett in Somer 1st-8th C AD 244-6 AP (I Burrow)

(11) General reference

Ancient Ewks & Camps of Somerset 1924 68-9 illus (E Burrow)

(12) General reference

PUBSS 18 No1 1987 61-2 (R Williams)

(13) Oblique aerial photograph reference number

NMR ST4758/8 NMR SF1462/97 07-MAR-1979

(14) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

NMR/RAF/3G/TUD/UK/15/21 5294-5295 13-JAN-1946

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