Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Mam Tor
Hob Uid: 309590
Location : Derbyshire High Peak Edale
Grid Ref : SK1277083700
Summary : Iron Age hillfort, consisting of rampart, ditch and counterscarp bank with possible inner bank and ditch on the south side, excavated in 1965-69 when three phases of hillfort construction were identified, and a late Bronze Age settlement
More information : (SK 12778370) Fort (NR) Mam Tor (NAT) (1) Mam Tor, an IA hillfort consisting of rampart, ditch and counterscarp bank. On the south side there is possibly an inner bank and ditch. (The O.S. Map of the Iron Age in Southern Britain, 1962, classifies it as multivallate.). (2) The hillfort is as described above, Resurveyed at 1:2500 on 25.8.62. (3) Mam Tor, the largest of a small group of hillforts in the Peak District, was excavated by Manchester University in 1965-9. The single bank, 25-30 ft. above a bed-rock cut ditch 6ft. deep by 6ft. wide, encloses a tongue-shaped area of about 16 acres. There are indications of a double-inturned entrance at the north and of a semi-inturned entrance to the south. The defences at the south end have been destroyed by land slides. The evidence suggests that there were possibly three phases of construction of the defences; 1) a timber palisade or revetment, 2) an earlier rampart and 3) the present rampart and ditch. Several hut platforms were excavated, one containing an internal hearth, yielding pottery and finds of the Middle and Late Bronze age together with charcoal dated to the same period by means of radiocarbon dating. The settlement, as separate from the defences, must now be regarded as a late Bronze Age elevated settlement or `Ho hensiedlung'. There are no means of dating the defences which, up to now, have been considered typically Iron Age. Finds included vast quantities of pottery and also a polished stone axe, a bronze axe fragment, 4 whetstone and fragments of shale bracelets. (4-5) Full excavation report (6) and analysis of pottery (7). (6-7) SK 128 837. Mam Tor. Listed in gazetteer as a multivallate hillfort covering 6.4ha. (8) Additional reference (not consulted). (9) SK 1279 8370. Slight univallate hillfort and two bowl barrows on Mam Tor. Scheduled RSM no. 23284. (10)

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Source Number : 1
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Source details : OS 1:10,000 1976
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Source Number : 2
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Source details : J Derby A & H S 74 1954 3-4 (F L Preston)
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Source Number : 3
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Source details : F1 FRH 15-SEP-65
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Source Number : 4
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Source details : Current Arch 27 1971 100-2 (D Coombs)
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Source Number : 5
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Source details : Hillforts - Later Prehist Earthworks in Brit & Ireland 1976 147-52 (Ed D W Harding) plan
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Source Number : 6
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Source details : Derby Arch J 99 1979 7-52 Plans Illus (D G Coombs & FH Thompson)
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Source Number : 7
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Source details : Ib 103 43-6 (EJS Gerrish)
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Source Number : 8
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Source details : BAR 62 British Hill-Forts: An Index 1979 155 (AHA Hogg)
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Source Number : 9
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Source details : VCH Derbyshire 1 1905 367-8
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Source Number : 10
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Source details : English Heritage, Scheduling Amendment, Derbyshire, 15-OCT-1993
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Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Late Bronze Age
Display Date : Late Bronze Age
Monument End Date : -700
Monument Start Date : -1200
Monument Type : Hut Circle, Settlement
Evidence : Sub Surface Deposit

Monument Period Name : Iron Age
Display Date : Iron Age
Monument End Date : 43
Monument Start Date : -800
Monument Type : Hillfort
Evidence : Earthwork

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : DR 73a
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (National No.)
External Cross Reference Number : 23284
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SK 18 SW 1
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1965-01-01
End Date : 1969-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1965-09-15
End Date : 1965-09-15

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EXCAVATION
Start Date : 1993-01-01
End Date : 1995-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : WATCHING BRIEF
Start Date : 1998-01-01
End Date : 1998-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : MANAGEMENT SURVEY
Start Date : 2001-01-01
End Date : 2001-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : WATCHING BRIEF
Start Date : 2013-01-01
End Date : 2013-12-31

Historic England Research Records

Mam Tor