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<< Our Photo Pages >> Great Urswick Fort - Hillfort in England in Cumbria

Submitted by Alphasmam on Saturday, 06 December 2003  Page Views: 11522

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Great Urswick Fort Alternative Name: Skelmore Heads
Country: England County: Cumbria Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Ulverston  Nearest Village: Great Urswick
Map Ref: SD274751  Landranger Map Number: 96
Latitude: 54.166543N  Longitude: 3.113488W
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.
 4 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.
 3 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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Great Urswick Fort
Great Urswick Fort submitted by Alphasmam : According to Barrowclough"Prehistoric Cumbria" Skelmore Heads hillfort follows a sequence from stockade enclosure to earthwork fort which must have included a timber box- rampart. I think this is an example of some of the earthwork. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Hillfort in Cumbria. According to Barrowclough "Prehistoric Cumbria" Skelmore Heads hillfort follows a sequence from stockade enclosure to earthwork fort which must have included a timber box- rampart.
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Great Urswick Fort
Great Urswick Fort submitted by Alphasmam : This is a large circular quarry-like structure at the foot of one of the slopes. This may have been a source for some of the stones used in the fort. However the hillfort is surrounded by massive field walls from a later date which could have used stones from this quarry. I do feel that the very large tall stones that can be seen incorporated in the walls were once part of the hillfort complex.... (Vote or comment on this photo)

Great Urswick Fort
Great Urswick Fort submitted by Alphasmam : There are sloping ramps at intervals around the perimeter of the fort which allow access to the upper flat area. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Great Urswick Fort
Great Urswick Fort submitted by Alphasmam : We saw this distinctive circular structure outside the hill-fort walls in a field as we approached the slope. Is it the base of a roundhouse or a cairn? I noted similar structures with undressed boulders at Urswick Stone Walls about a mile away but not so clearly defined. (2 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Great Urswick Fort
Great Urswick Fort submitted by Alphasmam : These stones now incorporated in a dry stone wall look very like the 2 stones on the long barrow at Skelmore Heads. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Great Urswick Fort
Great Urswick Fort submitted by Alphasmam : A tall stone perhaps 7 feet long. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Great Urswick Fort
Great Urswick Fort submitted by Alphasmam : This large, possibly a standing stone, has been incorporated in a later field wall.There are many in the area.

Great Urswick Fort
Great Urswick Fort submitted by postman : Looking over the entrance, it's not the best fort ever.

Great Urswick Fort
Great Urswick Fort submitted by postman : Limestone outcropping lends its defensive qualities to the fort.

Great Urswick Fort
Great Urswick Fort submitted by postman : Looking up at the fort through the broken limestone paving.

Great Urswick Fort
Great Urswick Fort submitted by durhamnature : Photo of collection of axes found at Urswick, from "Proceedings of the Cumberland Archaeological Society" via archive.org

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 300m N 3° Great Urswick Long Barrow* Long Barrow (SD27427540)
 1.0km SSW 211° Great Urswick Cross* Ancient Cross (SD26867422)
 1.1km SSW 213° The Priapus Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SD26757415)
 1.3km ESE 122° Birkrigg Common Round Cairn 1 Round Cairn (SD285744)
 1.3km WSW 238° Great Urswick Burial Chamber* Burial Chamber or Dolmen (SD26277442)
 1.4km SE 143° Birkrigg Common Platform Cairn* Cairn (SD282740)
 1.5km ESE 109° Birkrigg Common Round Cairn 3 Round Cairn (SD288746)
 1.5km SE 125° Birkrigg Common Cemetery* Barrow Cemetery (SD28627421)
 1.5km ESE 112° Birkrigg Common Enclosures and Appleby Hill and Stone Circle Ancient Village or Settlement (SD288745)
 1.5km ESE 111° Birkrigg Common Settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SD28837453)
 1.7km ESE 117° Birkrigg Common Round Cairn 2 Round Cairn (SD289743)
 1.7km SW 233° Urswick Stone Walls* Ancient Village or Settlement (SD260741)
 1.9km W 263° Lindal Standing Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SD255749)
 2.2km ESE 121° Druids Temple (Cumbria)* Stone Circle (SD29237396)
 4.4km NNE 26° Hoad Hill* Cairn (SD294790)
 4.6km SSW 200° St Michael's Well (Gleaston) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SD2572070820)
 5.8km W 274° St Helen's Well (Askam and Ireleth) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SD2161075640)
 7.9km NNW 342° The Kirk Ring Cairn* Stone Circle (SD2507082693)
 8.0km NNW 342° The Kirk Stone Row* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SD2509182770)
 8.1km NNE 29° Sheriff's Well (Greenodd) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SD3150082130)
 8.2km NNW 343° Kirkby Moor Ringcairn* Round Cairn (SD25148299)
 8.7km NNE 27° Greenodd Holy Well (Egton with Newland) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SD3144082770)
 8.8km ENE 74° Holker Labyrinth and Standing Stones Modern Stone Circle etc (SD3590677373)
 9.1km N 3° The Beacon (Cumbria)* Stone Circle (SD28008423)
 9.2km N 2° Lowick Ring Cairn (SD279843)
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