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CADBURY CAMP

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DESCRIPTION

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Cadbury Hill is a small multivallate hillfort situated on a natural and commanding ridge which separates the Gordano Valley from the Somerset Levels.
The hillfort is well preserved and has a sub-circular interior 190m north-south by 160m east-west, surrounded by a double set of ramparts c.26.5m across. The internal ditch is circa 2m deep and the internal bank is circa 2m high; together these earthworks are circa 18m wide. The external rampart is circa 1.5m high and the ditch is circa 2m deep; the joint width of these earthworks is circa 8.5m.
The banks are constructed of small stones, quarried from the ditches. The hillfort has three entrances, though only the northern entrance is thought to be original.
Excavations on the hillfort were carried out by St George Gray in 1922 and he uncovered Iron Age and Romano-British artefacts from the interior. Other finds from the hillfort include: Neolithic flints, a Bronze Age axe, late Roman coin hoards, a quern stone, a brass of Claudius Gothicus and part of a possible Roman altar of Mars. This Romano-British relief (now in North Somerset Musuem) may be a local version of a Roman god, possibly Mars or Silvanus.

During the Second World War a searchlight battery was established on the hillfort and the site was also used for bomb disposal.

DETAIL

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MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

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[ST 45427247] Cadbury Camp [T.I.]
HILL FORT [G.T.]. (1)

This is a bi-vallate, Iron Age 'B' hill-fort, banks 10-12 ft.
above medial and outer ditches. the entrance, which is on the
north, is splayed. See plan (4) AO:58:181:7] A Ne. flake (6)
a B.A. spearhead (4) and a third brass of Claudius Gothicus (7)
have been found either within or a few yards from the Camp.
Objects of the Roman period have been turned up by moles and
rabbits within the camp and excavations in the interior in 1922
revealed Romano-British coarse pottery and a few other artifacts
of the same period. this camp is one of three "Cadbury Camps"
in Somerset. The others are Cadbury Castle or Camelot (ST 62 NW 1) and Cadbury Congresbury (ST 46 SW 1). (2-7)

O.S. 25" (1931) Revised. (8)

Taunton Museum has a B.A. spearhead, found in 1856 and said to be
from Cadbury Camp. The hill-fort is unchanged. (9)

A multivallate stone-built hill-fort enclosing abuot 7 acres,
with a well-preserved and elaborate entrance on the north side.
St.George Gray's excavations in 1922 revealed evidence of Iron
Age occupation and Romano-British continuation or recurrence of
settlement. (10)

Cadbury Camp (NR). (11)

No signs of permanent Iron Age occupation were noted during the
use of Cadbury Camp in the Second World War as a searchlight
station and later for bomb disposal. After 1945 a coin of c.370 AD was found, and half a quernstone found during ploughing is
in the possession of Clevedon Archaeological Society. (12)

A Romano-British relief was discovered in 1974 lying in the
inner defensive ditch of the hillfort, apparently eroded out.
It protrays a probably divine character in military stance with
a spear on the right arm. It is suggested that this is a local
version of a Roman god, possibly Mars or Silvanus, and the
significance is noted of it being possibly part of an altar,
which would indicate continuing use of a pre-Roman centre into a
later period.

It is on loan to Bristol City Museum. (13)

Additional references (14-15)

The Romano- British stone relief carving was transferred to North Somerset Musuem in the late 1980s. (16)

Scheduled. For the designated record of this site please see the National Heritage List for England. (17-18)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1961.

( 2) Antiquity Publications Limited Antiquity

C.F.C. Hawkes 5 - 1931 Page(s)80

( 3) edited by William Page 1911 The Victoria history Somerset, volume two

The Victoria history of the counties of England C.H.Bothamley 2 - 1911 Page(s)500-1

( 4) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

H. St. George Gray 68 - 1922 Page(s)8-20

( 5) General reference

Ancient Monuments of England & Wales, 1958, p.67 (M.O.W.)

( 6) General reference

Proceedings of the Clifton Antiquarian Club 4, 1897-9, 160 (Pritchard)

( 7) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

70 - 1924 Page(s)LXXV11

( 8) Field Investigators Comments

F1 NVQ 14-MAY-62

( 9a) Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments

( 9) Field Investigators Comments

F2 JP 08-MAR-65

(10) General reference

Prehistoric Sites in the Mendip, S.Cotswold & Bristol Region 1966 25 (L.V.Grinsell)

(11) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 1:10 000 1981

(12) Avon Archaeological Council newsletter

C M Sykes 1977 Page(s)3-4

(13) General reference

Rescue Archaeology in the Bristol Area Mono 2 1979 (ed N Thomas) 1-5 illust (I Burrow & J Bennett)

(14) General reference

Ancient Earthworks & Camps of Somerset 1924 76-7 illus (E Burrow)

(15) BAR British series

Hillfort Settlement in Somerset (I Burrow) 91, 1981 Page(s)227-8

(16) Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments

(17) Scheduled Monument Notification

North Somerset, amended 20-May-1994

(18) World Wide Web page

The National Heritage List for England. 2011. http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1008295 [Accessed 20-SEP-2011]

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