| Summary : A prehistoric hillfort, probably of Iron Age date. The site was surveyed by RCHME in June 1978. The defences comprise a single ditch between two banks which, for much of their circuit, follow the shoulder of the hill. A single entrance exists on the south east side, and is flanked by parallel banks on each side, and accompanied by outer hornworks. A second entrance, now blocked, may have existed on the west side. The interior remains are generally slight, and comprise traces of about 30 hut circles, a similar number of platforms (not necessarily for buildings), and about 60 pits. Other features include a few low mounds, none recognizable as barrows, plus various unclassifiable banks and ditches. Two short, irregular stretches of bank and ditch on the highest part of the hill appear to predate the hillfort earthworks. If linked, they would have enclosed an area of less than 1.2 hectares. Their date is unknown, although it has been suggested that they may represent traces of a Neolithic causewayed enclosure. Material recovered from the surface in the hillfort interior during the survey included Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age potsherds. The tomb of the 5th Earl of Caernarvon stands on a platform in the south west corner of the hillfort. A feature in the south east corner can be plausibly interpreted as a pillow mound. Excavations in the hillfort in 1912 by Leonard Woolley seemed to confirm the identification of some of the interior features as hut circles. Pot sherds recovered by him were generally described as Bronze Age. One depression contained pottery and bottles of Medieval and later date and was presumably associated with the beacon (SU 45 NE 35). |
More information : (SU 45855727) Camp British Huts (NR). (1)
Beacon Hill: a fine contour fort with rampart, ditch and
counterscarp extremely well preserved. On the S.E. there is an
inturned entrance with a single low tranverse on the outside.
Scattered irregularly about the interior are a number of small
depressions about 9' in diameter with the interiors raised
above the general ground level and the circumference marked by
shallow ditches. Excavation of one of the larger rings revealed
a level floor and evidence of collapsed flint walling; a
fragment of black B.A. pottery was the only find.
Woolley also excavated three of the small depressions. The
first was 9' in diameter and 7'4" in depth; the sides were
irregular but the floor was flat and smooth. The infilling of
chalk and soil contained much burnt wood and charcoal, animal
bones, and a quantity of sherds of "typical B.A.
pottery.... two fragments being from a large well-made vessel
with nearly vertical sides of similar type to burial urns".
The second depression produced similar results although there
was much less pottery and charcoal, but the third close to the
highest point of the hill, was found to have been the site of a
shelter for the men who tended a beacon (SU 45 NE 35) here in
Medieval and late times. It was equipped with a brick fireplace
and from the infilling came greenglazed pottery and sack
bottles. (2-3)
Recent air photographs show indications of an earlier
earthwork, either Early Iron Age or Neolithic. (4)
Photographs show the outer works at the SE entrance to be an
addition for they impinge on the original defences (No mention
of an earlier work.) (5)
Beacon Hill; an extremely well preserved contour fort,
untouched except for a later elaboration of the S.E. entrance.
Within the enclosed area are some 15 contemporary hut sites
comprising horseshoe - shape scoops and circular enclosures up
to 15.0m in diameter with banks up to 0.4m in height and faint
traces of an outer ditch.
An E or SE entrance gap is clearly visible on some. Some of the
smaller storage/rubbish pits, up to 4.0m in diameter, are also
visible.
Grinsell's reference to an earlier work here almost certainly
applies to the fragmentary remains of inner work, possibly a
Neolithic interrupted ditch system, clearly visible on RAF
photographs (b) and still traceable on the ground as broad,
shallow interrupted ditches with the inner face the dominant
feature. On the N they terminate on (and were probably
destroyed by) the hillfort quarry ditches, the same is probably
true of the S. side although there seems to be an original gap
at the SW corner.
Complex re-surveyed at 1:2500. (6)
Within the internal area of Beacon Hill camp are remains of
about 20 hut-circles.
At Beacon Hill the looping of the substantial counterscarp bank
on to the main rampart produces a passage between flanking
banks which is further prolonged by the inturned ramparts.
There are also symmetrical hornworks springing from the
counterscarp bank on either side of the entrance. The bank and
ditch forming the hornworks end about 9.0m in front of the main
defences. (7)
The Neolithic enclosure here is listed as a suspect or
uncharacteristic interrupted ditch enclosure.
The two short lengths of bank and ditch within the hillfort
ramparts may suggest a possible causewayed enclosure. (8)
SU 458 572. Beacon Hill, Hants. Listed in gazetteer as a univallate hillfort covering 4.4ha. (9)
Beacon Hill was surveyed by staff of RCHME during June 1978. The defences comprise a single ditch between two banks which, for much of their circuit, follow the shoulder of the hill. A single entrance exists on the south east side, and is flanked by parallel banks on each side, and accompanied by outer hornworks. A second entrance, now blocked, may have existed on the west side. The interior remains are generally slight, and comprise traces of about 30 hut circles, a similar number of platforms (not necessarily for buildings), and about 60 pits. Other features include a few low mounds, none recognizable as barrows, plus various unclassifiable banks and ditches.
Two short, irregular stretches of bank and ditch on the highest part of the hill appear to predate the hillfort earthworks. If linked, they would have enclosed an area of less than 1.2 hectares. Their date is unknown, though it has been suggested that they may represent traces of a Neolithic causewayed enclosure. Material recovered from the surface during the survey included Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age potsherds.
The tomb of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon (1866-1923) stands on a platform in the south west corner of the hillfort interior (11a). Another feature in the south east corner has been plausibly interpreted as a pillow mound.
For further information, see the archive report (10). A summary account has also been published (11).
The alleged Neolithic causewayed enclosure mentioned above was investigated at Level 1 as part of the RCHME's project to record industry and enclosure in the Neolithic (Event record 923509) (12). A geophysical survey by English Heritage (AML) in 1997 has not traced any continuation of the circuit beyond the two lengths that survive as earthworks. There is therefore insufficient evidence to confirm or deny the suggestion that it is a causewayed enclosure, although the form of the earthworks would be very unusual. (12) |