Old Winchester Hill |
| Hob Uid: 239439 | |
Location :
Hampshire
Winchester
Exton
|
| Grid Ref : SU6410920559 |
| Summary : The monument includes a large univallate hillfort, probably of Early Iron Age date, a series of Celtic fields and associated trackways, a series of medieval or post-medieval plough furrows and banks and a suggested earthwork enclosure of unknown date. The hillfort is situated on a prominent, steep sided chalk spur and the defences of the hillfort completely enclose the spur, forming a roughly east-west aligned sub-trapezoidal interior area of about 4 hectares. They are of a relatively simple design, suggesting an Early Iron Age date. The ramparts are most substantial adjacent to the two original entrances at the south east and west ends of the hillfort where they rise to about 3 metres above the interior and up to 10 metres above and exterior ditch and counterscarp bank. Elsewhere they stand between 0.5 metres and 1.5 metres above the interior and about 6 metres above the ditch bottom. The external ditch is shallow and flat-bottomed, 2-8 metres wide and up to 1.8 metres deep on all but the north eastern side where it is replaced by 1 7-12 metre wide ledge. The counterscarp bank is 3-16 metres wide and stands to an external height of about 2 metres. The main use of the interior of the hillfort is represented by the slight surface remains of 70 depressions and associated pits believed to represent hut platforms. The remains of a Celtic field system survives to the west as a regular arrangement of slight scarps enclosing small rectangular fields. Further remains of Celtic fields and associated trackways are visible outside the defences of the south slope of the hillfort. At least two lynchets survive as slight banks running parallel to the ramparts. The earlier use of the monument is represented by a suggested earthwork enclosure, indicated by the infilled remains of a ditch across the interior of the hillfort at the eastern end. Scheduled. |
More information : (Centred SU 64102055) Hill Fort (LB) Old Winchester
Hill (T.I.) (1)
Old Winchester Hill, a presumably I.A.'A' hill fort with
inturned E and W entrances. (2)
A univallate hill fort enclosing 14 acres, the defences following
the contour of the hill. The two inturned entrances are at the
east and west, the former being protected by two 'cutlet shaped'
depresions.
Outside the ditch on the southern side, are three mounds
incorported into the outer bank ('L','M' & 'N' on survey). They
measure about 22.0m., 23.0m. and 12.0m across and are probably
the reamins of bowl barrows cut by the ditch.
Re-surveyed at 1:2500. (3)
No change. 1.2500 Survey correct. (4)
SU 641 206. Old Winchester Hill. Listed in gazetteer as a univallate hillfort covering 5.0ha. (5)
The site was surveyed by staff of RCHME during March 1994. The results indicated an unsuspected and complex landscape development sequence, the earliest component of which is a `Celtic' field system. An extensive and dispersed arrangement of barrow monuments has been placed on top of this and this in turn has been overlaid by the boundary and associated settlement features of the Iron Age hillfort. Survey also revealed slight traces of ridge and furrow ploughing and other vestiges of medieval or post medieval field system including linear field boundaries . For further information see archive report. (6) |