<< Our Photo Pages >> Witchy Neuk - Hillfort in England in Northumberland
Submitted by bolddubhglas1 on Wednesday, 25 April 2012 Page Views: 4945
Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Witchy Neuk Alternative Name: Whitefield CampCountry: England County: Northumberland Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Rothbury Nearest Village: Hepple
Map Ref: NY9817399358
Latitude: 55.288341N Longitude: 2.030313W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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Hillfort in Northumberland
Witchy Neuk (Hillfort)
This camp is also known as Whitefield-camp. The name Witchy-neuk, is said to be derived from the legend that 'Meg o' Meldon' in one of her midnight flights on a broom shank, or a piece of ragwort, rested on the rocks that form its northern defence.
I approached the camp from a public footpath that begins on the road side west of Hepple Whitefield Farm. The walk is about half a mile and not difficult. The north side of the hill fort is defended by steep crags, which are now over grown with Rowan, Scots Pine, Birch and Larch, some growing out of the crags and very beautiful.
The south side of the fort is more heavily defended with an earthwork standing on the rocky hill above Hepple.
The fort is surrounded by a rampart and a ditch. The rampart varies in height, and in places is over 2m high. In some places the remains of a supporting stone wall can also be seen. The two entrances to the fort have outward-turning earth banks on either side. The remains of at least two hut circles can be seen.
The hill fort was excavated in 1936 by Thomas Wake and was the first timber roundhouse to be identified in Northumberland.
There is also a Cairn just outside the hill fort to the south west. This too appears to have been excavated and the loose stones form a circle with a larger mound in the centre.
The Fort and cairn have splendid views over the River Coquet, and further up stream, also south of the river, are the remains of a smaller settlement, or enclosure, called Soldiers Fold, and the larger hill fort at Harehaugh. Down stream Tosson Burgh can also be seen from Witchy Neuk
I took a video tour which can be found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvVjr3XQUHg
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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
1.0km W 275° Soldier's Fold* Hillfort (NY9716299453)
1.3km WNW 290° Harehaugh Camp* Hillfort (NY96959980)
2.5km WNW 287° Five Kings* Stone Row / Alignment (NT9574000102)
3.1km ENE 76° Simonside Moor Rock Art (NU0120000100)
3.3km E 100° Ravenshaugh Main Stone* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (NZ0144598783)
3.5km E 93° Ravensheugh Cairn* Cairn (NZ0169099150)
3.9km NW 313° Five Barrows (Northumberland)* Barrow Cemetery (NT953020)
4.2km NW 319° St Mungo's Well (Northumberland)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NT954025)
4.3km E 99° Simonside Cairn 2* Cairn (NZ02409871)
4.3km ENE 75° Tosson Burgh* Hillfort (NU02340049)
4.4km E 83° Great Tosson Cairn* Cairn (NZ026999)
4.6km NW 321° Lady's Well (Holystone)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NT95270291)
4.6km E 100° Simonside Cairn 1* Cairn (NZ0271098520)
4.6km NW 313° Campville Fort* Hillfort (NT94770250)
4.9km ESE 102° Old Stell Crag* Rock Outcrop (NZ0297498372)
5.0km E 82° Great Tosson Enclosure* Ancient Village or Settlement (NU03130003)
5.5km E 98° Dove Crag* Rock Outcrop (NZ0367898540)
5.6km E 99° Dove Crag Cairn* Cairn (NZ0372898523)
6.1km ENE 64° West Hills 2 Rock Art (NU0367702093)
6.2km ENE 64° West Hills Camp* Hillfort (NU0380102085)
6.2km ENE 64° Westhills Camp (Rock Art) Rock Art (NU038021)
6.3km ENE 63° West Hills (Bracken Wood) 3 & 4 Rock Art (NU0385002190)
6.3km ENE 64° West Hill 1e Rock Art (NU0389302113)
6.4km ENE 65° West Hills 1f Rock Art (NU0394302072)
6.4km ENE 65° West Hills 1a* Rock Art (NU0394602067)
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