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<< Our Photo Pages >> Stapeley Hill Earthworks - Misc. Earthwork in England in Shropshire

Submitted by TimPrevett on Friday, 06 May 2005  Page Views: 9588

Multi-periodSite Name: Stapeley Hill Earthworks
Country: England County: Shropshire Type: Misc. Earthwork
Nearest Town: Bishops Castle  Nearest Village: Priest Weston
Map Ref: SO312988
Latitude: 52.582637N  Longitude: 3.016829W
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
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
5 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.
4 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
3

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Stapeley Hill Earthworks
Stapeley Hill Earthworks submitted by TimPrevett : Showing one of the Bronze Age earthworks that completely traverses Stapeley Hill east to west here; I've marked a line just under the dark green cross dyke here to help the unfamiliar spot the feature. See the main entry for more details - click the blue highlighted text to the top left of the pic for more information. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Misc. Earthwork in Shropshire

On Stapeley Hill are a number of very lengthy earthen banks quite distinct from anything mediaeval; archaeologists lean to the opinion that these are Bronze Age and very much in the character of the cross dykes found on the Long Mynd. This likely prehistoric field system strongly suggests quite a sizeable population.

Once one knows what to look for, they are very obvious and can easily be traced around large parts of the hillside, even right next to Mitchell's Fold circle, and also intersecting the path from the parking.

Also listed at SO 308 990, SO 310 989, SO 311 991

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Stapeley Hill Earthworks
Stapeley Hill Earthworks submitted by TimPrevett : The more one visits Stapeley hill, the more one discerns further linear earthworks. I noticed these two ascending the more southern hump of the hillside, either side of the summit (a modern cairn is on top). It is believed these are bronze age field systems. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Stapeley Hill Earthworks
Stapeley Hill Earthworks submitted by TimPrevett : Looking west on a mid section of the dyke; in places there are sizeable stones which protrude, or are loose. See the main entry for more details - click the blue highlighted text to the top left of the pic for more information. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Stapeley Hill Earthworks
Stapeley Hill Earthworks submitted by TimPrevett : A very long middle section of the dyke, looking west into Powys (part formerly known as Montgomeryshire). See the main entry for more details - click the blue highlighted text to the top left of the pic for more information. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Stapeley Hill Earthworks
Stapeley Hill Earthworks submitted by TimPrevett : Shortly after the Cow Stone, you'll intersect another bank; turn to the right, and can follow this until it terminates on the east side of Stapeley Hill. This shows the dyke heading towards its terminus - shown sticking up in the centre. See the main entry for more details - click the blue highlighted text to the top left of the pic for more information. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Stapeley Hill Earthworks
Stapeley Hill Earthworks submitted by TimPrevett : Shortly after the Cow Stone, you'll intersect another bank; turn to the right, and can follow this until it terminates on the east side of Stapeley Hill. This shows the dyke's final protrudence before the natural hill contours plummet rendering the earthwork unnecessary. See the main entry for more details - click the blue highlighted text to the top left of the pic for more information. (7 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Stapeley Hill Earthworks
Stapeley Hill Earthworks submitted by TimPrevett : From the parking for Mitchell's Fold, you will intersect one of these ridges - this looking west, on the left hand side - showing the extension of the earthwork even further. See the main entry for more details - click the blue highlighted text to the top left of the pic for more information.

Stapeley Hill Earthworks
Stapeley Hill Earthworks submitted by TimPrevett : One earthwork runs almost north-south along Stapeley Hill, going right next to Mitchell's Fold circle - just to the right here. See the main entry for more details - click the blue highlighted text to the top left of the pic for more information.

Stapeley Hill Earthworks
Stapeley Hill Earthworks submitted by TimPrevett : From the parking for Mitchell's Fold, you will intersect one of these ridges - this looking west, on the left hand side. See the main entry for more details - click the blue highlighted text to the top left of the pic for more information.

Stapeley Hill Earthworks
Stapeley Hill Earthworks submitted by TimPrevett : From the parking for Mitchell's Fold, you will intersect one of these ridges - this looking east, on the right hand side.See the main entry for more details - click the blue highlighted text to the top left of the pic for more information.

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 250m NNE 15° Stapeley Hill Cairn* Cairn (SO31279904)
 300m WNW 285° Cow Stone (Shropshire)* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SO30919888)
 635m NE 44° Giant's Grave (Shropshire)* Burial Chamber or Dolmen (SO31659925)
 889m WSW 240° Mitchell's Fold* Stone Circle (SO30429837)
 935m SW 235° Mitchell's Fold outlier* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SO30429828)
 988m SW 224° Druid's Castle* Stone Circle (SO305981)
 1.0km W 263° Middleton Hill Round Barrow(s) (SO302987)
 1.5km NNE 15° Holywell Brook (Rorrington)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SJ316002)
 1.5km SSW 211° The Whetstones* Stone Circle (SO30429753)
 1.5km W 273° Middleton Hall* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SO297989)
 1.6km NE 47° Hoarstones* Stone Circle (SO32419990)
 1.7km N 9° Castle Ring (Rorrington)* Hillfort (SJ315005)
 1.9km SW 218° New House Long Barrow* Long Barrow (SO300973)
 2.0km SSW 197° Corndon Hill 2* Cairn (SO30609693)
 2.0km S 187° Corndon Hill 4* Cairn (SO30949680)
 2.1km S 188° Corndon Hill 3* Cairn (SO30909676)
 2.2km SSW 200° Corndon Hill 8* Cairn (SO304967)
 2.3km SSW 199° Corndon Hill 1* Cairn (SO30449666)
 2.3km SSW 208° Corndon Hill 7* Cairn (SO301968)
 2.5km S 187° Corndon Hill 5* Cairn (SO30869632)
 2.7km ENE 76° Shelve* Stone Circle (SO338994)
 2.8km SSW 193° Corndon Hill 6* Cairn (SO30539608)
 3.4km ESE 109° Ritton Castle* Hillfort (SO34449765)
 3.7km E 81° Pennerley Barrows* Round Barrow(s) (SO349993)
 3.9km S 190° Cwm Mawr Stone Axe Factory Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry (SO305950)
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"Stapeley Hill Earthworks" | Login/Create an Account | 2 News and Comments
  
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Re: Stapeley Hill Earthworks by Anonymous on Tuesday, 13 November 2007
Are these the same as reeves on dartmoor?
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Stapeley Hill Earthworks by AngieLake on Tuesday, 13 November 2007
    (User Info | Send a Message)
    Hello Anonymous

    Reaves on Dartmoor are described in detail by Jeremy Butler in his excellent 'Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities' series.
    To quote a few lines from several pages! (Vol 5):

    "On Dartmoor banks of any description are known as reaves but here the term is confined only to those of prehistoric origin. There is little difficulty in distinguishing them from boundary banks of purely medieval or later periods, even where they share the same landscape, as the latter are almost invariably ditched and irregular in plan."
    (unquote)
    ..............
    It appears that the construction methods can vary, though I thought they were mostly stone because of the plentiful granite lying around on Dartmoor.
    (quote):
    "Construction varies, depending on available materials and the ability of different gangs of reave builders along any particular section. Stone necessary for the carefully built Hingston Hill reave must have been brought from some distance but, more typically, the reave north of Merrivale Bridge changes abruptly from loosely piled blocks to earthen bank as it alternates between patches of surface stone and the open hillside. The construction of the Saddlesborough reave and one of the parallel reaves in the associated field systems, excavated during the Shaugh Moor project, varied along their length, from a simple stony bank to a regular double facing of 'shiners' sandwiching a rubble core. A series of those east of Kes Tor were so solidly built" - [these are the ones I'm more familiar with!] - "that they still remain in use." (unquote)
    [Our local dowsing group used to work in that area regularly during the late 90s, and were lucky enough to visit an archaeological dig on three areas of reaves on Shovel Down.]
    "Like any wall reaves defined boundaries: from individual fields and farmsteads to whole settlements, or on a larger scale territorial divisions based on the valleys. Without including settlement and pound perimeters some 407 kilometres of linear reave survive, probably not far short of the length originally laid out, often rebuilt but still recognizable even when incorporated in to later field walls."

    Butler has a lot more to say about Dartmoor reaves, so I'd recommend that you try to obtain a book and read it for yourself. Each book of this series really is an excellent guide to the Moor.

    [ Reply to This ]

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