More information : WJ Varley has claimed that earthworks at the north-east end of Castle Hill, Almondbury, constitute a defended annexe to the adjacent Iron Age hillfort (SE 11 SE 1). He based this claim on the results of excavations he carried out within the annexe in 1947 and between 1969 and 1972, coupled with his perception of the relationship the earthworks have with other features on the hill, principally a hollow way which he believed was contemporary with the hillfort. However, neither the excavations nor the field evidence on which these various arguments rest has ever been properly published. A two-roomed, stone-built hut or bothy was also excavated in the annexe interior, but again few details are available (1a, 1b).
The annexe earthworks, centred at SE 1540 1422, were surveyed by RCHME in 1995. The survey suggested that most of the features shown on Varley's published plans of the annexe are more likely to be a fortuitous combination of natural scarps and medieval/post-medieval field walls and lynchets, than a coherent purpose-built enclosure. In addition, the supposed Iron Age hollow way is most probably medieval or later. No surface trace of the hut or bothy was found, but on balance this too is more probably medieval or later, than Iron Age. The area was under rough grass at the time of survey.
Full details of the survey, including a plan at 1:500 scale, and a detailed earthwork account (1c), are contained in the full site survey archive in the NMR. (1) |