| Summary : Fairly well-preserved earthwork remains of a univallate stone-built enclosure of 1.94ha on Carrock Fell. The overall plan is kidney-shaped, for the perimeter encloses two adjoining summits. Though generally interpreted as an unfinished or slighted Iron Age hillfort, due to the numerous irregularly spaced gaps in the rampart, there is no firm dating evidence. Along the southern side of the interior of the enclosure is a slight and discontinuous narrow trench which may represent evidence for an earlier palisaded enclosure. There are two cairns, presumably of Bronze Age date, in the interior (NY 33 SW 5). The south-eastern side of the circuit is overlain by a medieval shieling, in ruinous condition (NY 33 SW 3). Scheduled. |
More information : [NY 3425 3364]. Hill Fort [NR]. (1)
The hill fort on the summit of Carrock Fell consists of an oval, stone-walled, enclosure with a large cairn near the east end, and having a western and southern entrance. Other gaps in the wall are thought to be slighting. (2-3)
The fort covers an area of some 300m E-W by 100m N-S. Most of the enclosing wall has collapsed and is represented by a rubble spread 9m wide; but in the SW corner it still attains a height of 1.7m and is up to 2m wide. Only one of the numerous gaps throughout its length can be described as a definite entrance and this is at the west end. The interior is exclusively outcropping rock rising towards the centre; although one or two possible 'scoops' can be envisaged, there are no certain hut sites. A prominent feature is the round cairn which is grossly mutilated in the centre but has an external height of 0.8m and is 13m in diameter. DAP 72/261/345 with enlarged sketch. (4)
NY 342 336. An almost certain, irregular-shaped hill-fort with massive stone ramparts, 5 acres in extent on the summit of Carrock Fell but with no internal features apart from a cairn and traces of quarrying. (5-6)
(Name centred NY 3428 3365). Fort (NR).
(Name centred NY 3417 3362). Cairn (NR). (7)
NY 342 337. Carrock Fell hill fort, scheduled. (8)
NY 3425 3865. The hillfort is kidney shaped, following roughly the contours of the hill and in places is built over rock outcrops. The rampart now stands up to 1.8m high, having a maximum width, including tumble, of 10m. Internally the hillfort measures 235m east to west, and approximately 100m north to south. There are several breaks in the rampart, but it is not possible to locate an entrance with certainty and some of the breaks contain tumble. There are traces of quarrying within the enclosed area, and also two cairns, one at either end. Both give the appearance of being relatively recent; they are hollowed out, and form effective shelters for walkers, which was possibly their original function.
The shape of the hillfort, particularly of the northern portion of the stone rampart, perhaps indicates two phases of building: the earliest at the western end, enclosing an area of approximately 80 x 60-70m incorporating the highest ground at the summit of the fell and a second phase of expansion towards the east, which may have been to allow stock to be brought into the enclosure. Collingwood (authority 3) has suggested that this was a Brigantian capital built immediately prior to the Roman invasion of Cumberland, and that the gaps in the wall represent deliberate slighting by the Romans. Higham (9a), however, argues that the lack of visible internal features and the remote and exposed nature of the site makes it probable that it was never permanently occupied.
Surveyed at 1:1000 scale in 1986 by the Cumbria and Lancashire Archaeological Unit as part of the Lake District National Park Survey. (9)
Earthwork remains of a large univallate hillfort on Carrock Fell. The fort also contains the earthwork remains of two Bronze Age cairns; one, located upon the eastern rounded knoll within the fort's interior, measures 15.3m by 14m and has a cist, orientated north-east/south-west and mesuring 2.3m by 1.2m. Immediately east of the western rocky knoll at the fort's highest point is a mutilated round cairn 11m in diameter. (10)
In June 1996, RCHME carried out an analytical survey of the enclosure as part of a thematic project to record the industry and enclosure of the Neolithic (Event record 923509), in the light of specualtion based on the proximity of the site to the source of Group XXXIV stone axes. The two cairns and a shieling mentioned by previous sources are recorded under different numbers (NY 33 NW 5 and 3 respectively).
The monument is essentially as described by previous investigators. The enclosed area is 1.94ha. It was noted that most of the rampart terminals on either side of the gaps in the stony bank are generally rounded, which is not suggestive of later damage. The form of the perimeter, together with the lack of settlement evidence, may offer a aparallel with earlier Neolithic causewayed enclosures, but the survey was unable to reach any firm conclusion about the date of the monument. Along the southern side, just inside the rampart, there is a slight discontinuous gulley which may represent the remnant of an earlier palisaded enclosure; at face value, this would support a later date for the main enclosure. There is no evidence that the rampart itself was constructed in two phases (contra Source 9). For further details, see the RCHME Level 3 report held in the Archive, which includes a copy of the plan at 1:1000 scale and a full textual description and interpretation. (11)
No additions made from aerial photographs. (12-13) |