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MONUMENT NO. 195425

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A scheduled banjo enclosure possibly dating to the Late Iron Age, visible as earthwork banks and ditch, was mapped from aerial photographs taken in 1930 and 1946. Located on Walton Down, northeast of Walton-in-Gordano village and centred at ST 4289 7377, the feature comprises a subcircular earthwork enclosure, with outer ditch and inner earthwork bank, measuring about 88 metres NNW-SSE and 100 metres WSW-ENE. The bank is between 2 and 3 metres wide and the ditch between 1 and 2 metres wide. The central enclosure encompasses an area of about 70 square metres. On its ENE side, two parallel curvilinear banks, each about 2 metres wide and between 8.5 to 9 metres apart, extend 150 metres WSW-northeast. The end of this avenue is intersected at right angles by a linear earthwork bank, about 3 metres wide, 81 metres long, aligned northeast-southwest, which turns slightly northeast at each end and with a 4 metres wide gap in the middle. About 70 metres southeast of the central enclosure of the banjo enclosure is the remains of a rhomboidal earthwork bank and ditch enclosure, centred at ST 4295 7373. The longest of the three linear ditches is about 46 metres, aligned northwest-southeast and with an earthwork bank on the inside of the enclosure; from which two parallel ditches about 20 and 30 metres long extend WSW-ENE. Aerial photographs taken in 1989 show that, although fragments are still visible, much of these features have been significantly covered by the encroachment of scrub vegetation and woodland.

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[ST 42847373] EARTHWORKS [G.T.]. (1)

The Earthworks on Walton Common Down comprise a roughly
circular enclosure with a rampart of limestone blocks, seldom
more than 2 1/2 feet high, with an outer ditch c.9 inches
deep. There are two entrances, on the south and north-east,
approached by avenues formed by embanked paths. The north-eastern
avenue passes through a cross-bank and ditch. The earthwork is
not a henge as has been suggested; Irish examples are known to
have been sheep-pens. The earthwork appears to overlie marks of
cultivation. [See A.Ps.]

A bank and ditch form a fragmentary rhomboidal enclosure on the
south of the main earthwork. A trial excavation in 1956, by
Clevedon Arch. Soc., on the southern earthwork suggests that
it was unfinished. Dating evidence was inconclusive and the finds
comprised two Medieval potsherds, pieces of iron ore and some
flint fragments.
See AO/58/154/3 for a plan of the earthworks] and AO/61/230/5 for
reproductions of pre-war A.Ps (4)]. (2-4)

The circular enclosure and the approach work are very weak and now
appear as turf covered banks averaging 0.3m. high; the outer
ditch to each-bank is from 0.1 m. to 0.3m deep. Two possible hut
sites within the enclosure are visible on the air photograph
(AO/61/230/5) but they cannot be traced on the ground, nor can
the unusual field system which also appears on the photograph.

The enclosure is evidently pastoral, though its date is
uncertain.

Resurveyed at 1/2500

The rhomboidal enclosure, which can be seen in its entirety on
AO/62/230/5, is only partly traceable on the ground. It may also
be pastoral. Re-surveyed at 1/2500. (5)

No change. (6)

A typical 'banjo' enclosure, some exmaples of which have been
dated to the Late Iron Age. (7)

Banjo enclosure at Walton Down visible on AP (8)

Additional reference (9)

A banjo enclosure possibly dating to the Late Iron Age, visible as earthwork banks and ditch, was mapped from aerial photographs taken in 1930 and 1946. Located on Walton Down, northeast of Walton-in-Gordano village and centred at ST 4289 7377, the feature comprises a subcircular earthwork enclosure, with outer ditch and inner earthwork bank, measuring about 88 metres NNW-SSE and 100 metres WSW-ENE. The bank is between 2 and 3 metres wide and the ditch between 1 and 2 metres wide. The central enclosure encompasses an area of about 70 square metres. On its ENE side, two parallel curvilinear banks, each about 2 metres wide and between 8.5 to 9 metres apart, extend 150 metres WSW-northeast (ST 4289 7378 to ST 4302 7384). The end of this avenue is intersected at right angles by a linear earthwork bank, about 3 metres wide, 81 metres long, aligned northeast-southwest (ST 4306 7381 to ST 4301 7387), which turns slightly northeast at each end and with a 4 metres wide gap in the middle. About 70 metres southeast of the central enclosure of the banjo enclosure is the remains of a rhomboidal earthwork bank and ditch enclosure, centred at ST 4295 7373. The longest of the three linear ditches is about 46 metres, aligned northwest-southeast and with an earthwork bank on the inside of the enclosure; from which two parallel ditches about 20 and 30 metres long extend WSW-ENE. Aerial photographs taken in 1989 show that, although fragments are still visible, much of these features have been significantly covered by the encroachment of scrub vegetation and woodland. (10-14)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6", 1961

( 2) General reference

Proc. U.B.S.S. 4, 1931 36, 38-42 (C.W. Phillips)

( 3) General reference

Bull. Somer. Arch. J, 1956 (K.S. Gardner)

( 4) General reference

APs. (CPE/UK/1869/3059-60 in A.O. Album)

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 NVQ 21-MAR-62

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

F2 GHP 18-FEB-65

( 7) General reference

BAR 91 1981 Hillfort Sett 1st-8th cents AD 248-9 (I Burrow)

( 8) General reference

Avon's Past from the Air, c1984 9 photo (Avon SMR)

( 9) General reference

Ancient Ewks & Camps of Somerset 1924 148-9 illus (E Burrow)

(10) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

NMR ST 4373/1 (33264) JULY-1930

(11) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

NMR ST 4273/4 (33265) JULY-1930

(12) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

RAF CPE/UK/1869 3059-3060 04-DEC-1946

(13) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

NMR OS/89299 193 18-JUN-1989

(14) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

NMR OS/89299 100-101 18-JUN-1989

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