More information : (Centred SU 011 352) Hanging Langford Camp (NR). (Centred
SU 012 355) Church-end Ring (NR). (1)
Hanging Langford Camp, an Iron Age/Romano British settlement, linked
by a ditch to a 'banjo' type enclosure lying below it, known as
Church-end Ring. (2)
The main camp is composed of a series of banks and ditches (see plan
(2) & air-photographs (3)), of modest dimensions, which suggest they
acted as boundaries rather than defences, and which probably enclosed
the settlement for most of its lifetime. Bonney (4) suggests that
by its siting Church-end Ring may have served as a stock enclosure.
Excavations by him and Musty, on behalf of Salisbury Museum Research
Group, in 1961, revealed traces of an outer bank, and an occupation
layer with rough cobbling.
Pottery sherds (4) probably of early Roman dating (50-150AD) were
found in the ditch. Romano-British sherds were found in the upper
fill of the ditch connecting it to the Camp (5).
Finds from the Camp include La Tene and Roman brooches, Iron Age
coins, Iron Age 'C' and Samian sherds. Much of the material is now
in Salisbury Museum (6).
The site has affinities in form with the neighbouring settlements
of Ebsbury (SU 03 NE 5) and Hamshill (4) (SU 03 SW 21) and in common
with these settlements had a continuity of occupation throughout
the Roman period and on into the early years of the 5th century (4).
(3-6)
Numerous surface finds, preceeding the 1961 excavations, are in
Salisbury Museum. Apart from IA and RB bronze and iron objects,
pottery etc a silver Durotrigian stater was found in 1911 (a) and
"Belgic silver coins" (144/1939). (7)
As described. The ditches and slight banks, which are of non-defensive nature, on the east side of Hanging Langford Camp survive, but the occupation area has been ploughed down and little survives on the west side.
Church End Ring, which is well preserved, is located on the valley
floor beneath steep sided slopes. Its type and situation suggests a
cattle enclosure.
Surveyed at 1:2500 in conjunction with RCHM 1:1250 plan. (8)
Both Hanging Langford camp and Church End Ring were surveyed by staff of RCHME Salisbury as part of a project focussing on earthworks in South Wiltshire. The following is a summary of the detailed archive report:
Church End Ring: an irregularly pear-shaped 'banjo' enclosure c1.0ha in area positioned at the base of a steep coombe on the Lower Chalk/Upper Greensand boundary. It has an internal ditch and external bank. The one entrance faces N along the flat coombe bottom and is approached by means of a linear passageway c65m in length. This is aligned N-S and is flanked on either side by ditches. There is a marked difference in height between the raised enclosure interior and the passageway. Both antennae ditches associated with the entrance extend in wide loops around the enclosure. The E ditch turns away from the entrance heading in a SE direction. For 100m it survives as a ditch; thereafter it is a terraceway which links with the W element of a double ditch system emanating from Hanging Langford Camp 250m to the S. Their junction is noticeably awkward, suggesting possible non-contemporaneity. Within the enclosure are indications of settlement activity. Five circular/sub-circular enclosures are evident terraced into the steep slope at the S end of the enclosure. These structures, 5m-7m in diameter, are located on a 'Celtic' field lynchet which pre-dates and is bisected by the enclosure circuit.
Hanging Langford Camp: The earthworks consist of a complex series of banks and ditches representing enclosures with formal entrance features and associata. Three main enclosed or partially enclosed units are evident aligned on a roughly N-S axis. The first and potentially earliest of these is the most N element, hereafter HLC1.
HLC1 is a univallate sub-square enclosure of c1ha, with an E facing entrance. It is defined by a very denuded bank with an internal ditch. Approx two-thirds of this enclosure is under the plough. The entrance is complex and consists primarily of a sunken linear hollow-way. There is also an entrance facade. Midway along the passageway adjoining either side and diverging at right angles to it are linear boundaries. These consist of two parallel ditches with a medial bank. The section to the N of the passageway is embanked on each ditch side. The W segment of this double ditch system is linked to the Church End Ring complex. The E element has been overlain by a Celtic field system. The final components of the entrance are the arcing lengths of bank and ditch linking the E limit of the passageway with the double ditched facade. This creates a morphology reminiscent of hornwork/barbican entrance features noted more commonly with hillfort enclosures. Within the the interior of the enclosure there are traces of activity. A number of circular and linear depressions, never more than 0.5m in depth, are evident.
There is a larger, contiguous annexe c2ha in area attached immediately to the S side of the main enclosure (HLC1). It is defined by a ditch with no surviving associated bank. There are two probable entrances, the first of which is c80m S of the W junction with the main enclosure. The second is a further 70m to the S. Both consist of simple gaps in the ditch circuit. Numerous irregular depressions and platforms are visible within the ploughed interior. Fieldwalking produced a range of settlement debris including pottery, burnt flint and stone.
The final phase of earthwork development includes the partial, levelled ditch c100m to the W of the complex, which encircles the S sector of Hanging Langford Camp. It survives immediately S and SE of the camp as a ditch associated with a slight external bank. The boundary is double-ditched for a distance of c120m before its NE termination. The two ditches are separated by a flattened area c10m-12m in width. There are three interruptions along the course of this double ditch, and all appear to be original constructional features. They consist of simple gaps in each side of the ditch and slight hollowing across the level medial area. (9, 10) |