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MAIDEN CASTLE

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DESCRIPTION

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An Iron Age promontory fort surviving as an earthwork. An Iron Age promontory fort of 1 1/2 acres defenced on the South and East by two lines of ramparts still surviving to a height of 7ft. An entrance occurs through both ramparts on the East side, the inner being inturned. Excavation has shown the site to have two structural phases. The earlier consists of the inner rampart, 20ft thick and probably originally 10ft or more in height, revetted with stone on both faces and timber laced internally; and an outer bank of sand revetted with stone externally. In the second phase this outer bank was remodelled and increased in width

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[SJ 49805286] Maiden Castle [TI]
Hill Fort [OE] (1)

A promontory fort on the highest part of Bickerton Hill bounded on the west by a steep escarpment. Its highest part is defended by two ramparts and a ditch which runs in an elbow bend from the north to the south. Some 40 yds. from the N. end of the inner rampart there is a single guarded entrance and opposite it a gap in the outer rampart. Excavated by W.J. Varley in 1934-5. It was found that the ramparts were timberlaced with stone revetment and dateable to "a generation or so before the Conquest". It is also suggested that the outer ramparts were reconstructed during the period of Roman Advance - A.D. 50-75. There is, however, no evidence to suggest that the defences were used after the Roman Conquest or that the site was occupied after that time.
[See AO/62/315/6 & 7]
Scheduled. (2-6)

As described. The gap in the outer rampart opposite the inturned entrance has recently been widened.
Published survey (25") revised. (7)

Further reference and plan. (8)

An IA promontory fort of 1 1/2 acres defenced on the S and E by two lines of ramparts still surviving to a height of 7ft. An entrance occurs through both ramparts on the E side, the inner being inturned. Excavation has shown the site to have two structural phases. The earlier consists of the inner rampart, 20ft thick and probably originally 10ft or more in height, revetted with stone on both faces and timber laced internally; and an outer bank of sand revetted with stone externally. In the second phase this outer bank was remodelled and increased in width. (9)

No change to field report of 12.11.64. Published survey (1:2500) revised. (10)

Listed by Challis and Harding as a hillfort with a timber-laced, stone revetted rampart 14-17ft wide. (11)

SJ 498529: A grey flint blade, retouched along one edge was found by the father of Milton Trippier, Hesketh Bank, Lancashire, at Maiden Castle Bickerton in 1941-3. Now in private possession. (12)

Excavation in 1980/1 necessitated by erosion of the outer rampart -this was subsequently found to be via an original, smaller, entrance to the fort. Samples were collected for C14 dating from the burnt interlacing of the rampart: tests on in situ timbers produced a thermoluminescence date oc c2000, firmly placing it in the Iron Age. Full report forthcoming. (13)

SJ 498 528. Maiden Castle, Bickerton. Listed in gazetteer as a multivallate hillfort covering 0.72ha. (14)

SJ 4977 5287. Maiden Castle promontory fort on Bickerton Hill, 700m W of Hill Farm. Scheduled RSM No 25690. (15)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1954

( 2) General reference

Archaeol J 111 1954 pp87-89 (M Aylwin Cotton)

( 3) General reference

Annals of Archaeol & Anthrop 22 1935 pp97-100 - Preliminary Excav Rep (W.J. Varley)

( 4) General reference

Annals of Archaeol & Anthrop 23 1936 pp101-12 - Further Excavations

( 5) General reference

Prehistoric Cheshire 1940 p68 figs 11.12

( 6) General reference

List Anc Mons Eng & Wales 1961 p22 (M.O.W.)

( 7) Field Investigators Comments

F1 TPW 12-NOV-64

( 8) General reference

Trans Lancashire Cheshire Antiq Soc 72 1962 pp25-6 plan (J. Forde-Johnston)

( 9) General reference

Bldgs of England: Cheshire 1971 pp117-118 (N Pevsner)

(10) Field Investigators Comments

F2 DJC 17-MAR-76

(11) by A J Challis and D W Harding 1975 Later prehistory from the Trent to the Tyne

BAR British series1 (1974) - 20 (ii) Page(s)45

(12) General reference

Cheshire Archaeol Bull 5 1977 p49 (P J Davey)

(13) General reference

Cheshire Archaeol Bull 7 1980/1 pp34-6 plan (J J Taylor)

(14) by A H A Hogg 1979 British hillforts : an index

BAR British series1 (1974) - Page(s)154

(15) General reference

English Heritage Scheduling Amendment 7/8/95

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