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<< Our Photo Pages >> Arbury Camp - Hillfort in England in Northamptonshire

Submitted by Andy B on Sunday, 10 April 2022  Page Views: 10699

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Arbury Camp Alternative Name: Arbury Banks
Country: England
NOTE: This site is 2.418 km away from the location you searched for.

County: Northamptonshire Type: Hillfort
 Nearest Village: Chipping Warden
Map Ref: SP494486  Landranger Map Number: 151
Latitude: 52.133502N  Longitude: 1.279697W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
3 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
4

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Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : The largest bank with ridge and furrow running up to it (Vote or comment on this photo)
The Arbury Banks site at Chipping Warden is quite distinct among Northamptonshire hillforts. Arbury Banks stands on the flat summit of a low rounded hill. The river Cherwell flows around the south and east of the hill on which the so-called hillfort stands, but is a mere country stream at this point and offers no serious defensive protection. The relatively low-lying site, added to the lack of riverine or other natural defences, combine to suggest that Arbury Banks probably did not serve a primarily defensive/protective function. The site can now be seen from the A361 road.

The site has a very limited viewshed for an Iron Age defended “hilltop” enclosure – it could not have been adequately defended without the support of a nearby lookout point - and for this reason the adjacent Warden Hill and Jobs Hill were also considered as part of this analysis; the views from Warden Hill and Jobs Hill provide comprehensive visibility for up to 20km or more in virtually all directions. However, there is more compelling evidence to support the interpretation of this site as a trading site.

No fewer than 13 Bronze Age palstaves were found grouped together about 1km north of the hillfort site (image available from the reference) and the unfinished nature of the castings show that this was the stock-in-trade of a resident smith. A further (finished) palstave was found at an adjacent site in Aston-le-Walls. The route of the Welsh Road runs close to the north of the hillfort site, which also helps to explain the probable existence of a Bronze Age smithy at this location (i.e., well located in order to draw upon the possibilities of trading copper from the prehistoric malachite mines in north Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire) – it seems reasonable to suppose that the route of the Welsh Road in this area may date back far into pre-history. To complete the picture of long-term peaceable occupation, there is a probable Neolithic oval enclosure on the south slope of Jobs Hill, and a Roman villa with bathhouse is located close nearby at Blackgrounds.

This area may also be influenced by other early trade routes. Routes in the neighbourhood include a salt route leading from BA salt pans in the Droitwich area (pers comm Beatrice Hopkinson, UCLA, Los Angeles, who carried out the Droitwich excavations), and probably running via the Saxon so-called "Great Way" towards Northampton. It is also relevant to note that the nearby IA hilltop fort at Thenford is located at the junction of Banbury Lane and Welsh Lane.

All in all, the overall impression of Arbury Banks is that of a site within an area that saw use as a trading point over an extended period of at least 1000-1500 years. In this context, it is also highly significant that the Dobunni/Catuvellauni territorial border in Oxfordshire was established during the Late Iron Age along the course of the Cherwell south of Chipping Warden (see 2.1 and 2.3 above). This throws further light upon the Chipping Warden site, and underlines its interpretation as a peaceful “trading site” rather than a “hillfort”. Finally, it seems no coincidence that the modern name Chipping Warden would appear to derive from a medieval or earlier reference to "the marketplace by the lookout hill".

Source: Iron Age Hillforts Survey (Northamptonshire): Second Stage Investigations: Iss. 2, Mar-2016

Page originally by Vicky

Note: Arbury Camp (or Banks) in Northamptonshire explored, with lots of photos, video and panoramas - linked from the bottom of the page - try them
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Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by dodomad : Ripping Up History English Heritage campaign on archaeology under the plough. Rare Iron Age fortification at Arbury Banks, Northants. Ploughing has destroyed half the protective covering of medieval ridge and furrow and is damaging the underlying fortification. Copyright: EH (5 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : A scheduled ancient cross base by the church in nearby Chipping Warden (Vote or comment on this photo)

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : Park here in Arbury Banks! (Vote or comment on this photo)

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : The Iron Age banks stretch into this field as well but have been largely flattened by modern agriculture (Vote or comment on this photo)

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : The banks with the church in the distance (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : Two of the largest banks

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : A giant thistle in the foreground

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : View from the top of the bank as the sun sets

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : The largest bank with ridge and furrow running up to it

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : A panorama of Arbury Camp in Northamptonshire

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : Banks with ridge and furrow running up to them (1 comment)

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : From the top of the bank, looking across to ridge and furrow

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : Medieval field system and hillfort banks

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : A panorama of Arbury Camp in Northamptonshire (1 comment)

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B (1 comment)

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : Field system in the foreground, the banks in the middle and the church in the distance (1 comment)

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : A panorama of Arbury Camp in Northamptonshire (1 comment)

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : The banks, surrounded by ridge and furrow

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : Even more field system

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : More of the medieval field system

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : There is very well a really defined medieval ridge and furrow field system inside the banks (1 comment)

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : Arbury Banks as evening falls

Arbury Camp
Arbury Camp submitted by Andy B : Arbury Banks from the roadside.

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"Arbury Camp" | Login/Create an Account | 6 News and Comments
  
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Arbury Camp Panoramas by Andy B on Sunday, 10 April 2022
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Three new panoramas of this site created - try them:

https://www.megalithic.co.uk/panorama.php?panoid=32

https://www.megalithic.co.uk/panorama.php?panoid=31

https://www.megalithic.co.uk/panorama.php?panoid=30
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Video Walks around Arbury Camp by Andy B on Sunday, 10 April 2022
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Made by yours truly in December 2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9-IodvKPL0



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5fwYtuZFAM


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Re: Roman settlement unearthed east of Arbury Camp Village by AngieLake on Tuesday, 11 January 2022
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Headlines tonight in Daily Mail online. The Blackgrounds site is east of Chipping Warden village, where we have a site page for Arbury Camp.

"HS2 dig finds reveals Roman market town in Northamptonshire: HS2 dig finds ancient artefacts that reveal how 30 Iron Age roundhouses were 'Romanised' into a bustling settlement almost 2,000 years ago
Archaeologists uncover numerous Roman ancient artefacts on a route of the HS2 high-speed railway project
Findings include cremation urns, gaming pieces, shackles, a snake-head brooch and over 300 Roman coins
Experts say there was originally an Iron Age settlement at the site which vastly expanded in the Roman period"

More on this link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10387235/HS2-dig-finds-ancient-road-2-000-year-old-coins.html
It's not far from Cropredy, so perhaps Kevin (Cropredy) will visit and tell us more?
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Roman settlement unearthed east of Arbury Camp Village by Andy B on Tuesday, 11 January 2022
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    Hello Angie,
    That's really interesting, thanks. I was at this Arbury Banks site just before Christmas and took some photos which I will try to get posted ASAP. The most impressive bit is the medieval field system which is kind of intertwined with the older earthworks.

    I didn't see this excavation site you've posted but driving down through the countryside to get here from Warwick on the way back to London there were vast numbers of HS2 sites springing up - really quite horrific looking actually. It's a lovely part of the world (or was) and is worth exploring the country lanes as an alternative to the M40.
    Andy
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Re: Arbury Camp by Andy B on Sunday, 12 December 2021
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The Iron Age Fort (SP 494486) known as Arbury Camp, lies on the flat summit of a low rounded hill S.W. of Chipping Warden village, mainly on Marlstone Rock at 134 m. above OD. The monument is of considerable interest not only as a rare survival of an upstanding prehistoric site in this part of the county but also because of the medieval land use; the ramparts have been incorporated into the headlands of the common field system of the parish (11) and a windmill (7) stood on a mound on part of the outer bank. The E. part and the S.W. corner are now arable land, but the rest is permanent grassland.

The site was described by Bridges in the early 18th century (Hist. of Northants., 1 (1791), 111) who said: 'It is certain that no Roman coins or other marks of antiquity have ever been discovered there, though the ground is now ploughed up'. The absence of finds from the site is still notable, though one gold Iron Age coin, a British 'Remic' stater (Mack. 59; in private hands) is said to have come from the site. Five other Iron Age coins are recorded from the parish but were perhaps found on the Roman site and not here.

The site was described in the 19th century by A. Beesley (Hist. of Banbury (1841), 30); he interpreted it as circular with a large outer enclosure attached to it on the W. This idea was elaborated by the Ordnance Survey (OS Record Cards, 1968) who said that the site consisted of a hexagonal enclosure, probably Belgic in date because of its shape, a rectangular annex or extension to the W., a further annex to the N., and a bank of unknown purpose further W. again. These interpretations can be discounted as all the banks of the suggested annexes are simply well-marked headlands between ridge-and-furrow and have no connection with the fort itself.

Moreover the fort is now hexagonal in plan almost certainly because its original ramparts have also been used as headlands of the medieval fields and have been pulled out of shape by ploughing. There is no reason to doubt that, in its original form, the enclosure was roughly circular.

The main enclosure covers just under 3 hectares and was presumably once bounded by a massive bank and external ditch, perhaps with an original entrance in the S.E. corner. The whole of the E. part is now under permanent arable and the surviving rampart is no more than 10 cm. high with no trace of a ditch. Air photographs show three alignments of the rampart here, two of which, on the N. and E., have been straightened by being used as headlands in medieval times. All trace of the ridge-and-furrow has now disappeared except on the N. side. A short section of the rampart in the N.W. has been less damaged as the ridge-and-furrow to the N. stopped short of it and to the S. ran E.-W. below it. Here the rampart is 1.5 m. high above the land to the N. and 1 m. high above the interior. There is no ditch, any trace presumably having been destroyed by the adjacent ridge-and-furrow. The W., side is now reduced to a broad slightly curving scarp 2.5 m. high. The assumed outer ditch does not survive, again obliterated by the adjacent ridge-and-furrow, here running N.-S. The scarp itself has been used as a headland during the ploughing of the interior of the fort and its top is extremely uneven where the ridge-and-furrow rides over it.

The S.W. corner of the fort is now only a simple scarp 1 m.–1.5 m., curving first S.E. and then E. before fading out. The mound to the S. of it shown on OS 1:2500 maps is part of another medieval headland. The S. side of the fort now hardly exists, for the W. part has been ploughed down into ridge-and-furrow which in turn has had a windmill mound built over it. Immediately to the E. of the windmill mound is a small gap which may be an original entrance, for beyond it to the N.E. is the end of an original bank, 0.5 m. high. The W. half of the interior of the fort is covered by well-marked ridge-and-furrow running approximately E.-W., up to 0.5 m. high, and obscuring any original feature.


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Arbury Camp Street View by Andy B on Sunday, 12 December 2021
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https://goo.gl/maps/r9DaA53gGQawxmU9A
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