<< Our Photo Pages >> Croft Ambrey - Hillfort in England in Herefordshire

Submitted by vicky on Monday, 14 October 2002  Page Views: 17455

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Croft Ambrey
Country: England
NOTE: This site is 0.2 km away from the location you searched for.
County: Herefordshire Type: Hillfort

Map Ref: SO444668  Landranger Map Number: 137
Latitude: 52.296499N  Longitude: 2.816701W
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.
 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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I have visited· I would like to visit

w650marion visited on 22nd Jun 2022 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 4 Access: 3 Like Marko’s visit seven years ago, the vegetation and bracken obscured a lot of it, but still, it’s a hillfort with great views!

drolaf visited on 13th Nov 2015 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 2

Marko visited on 10th Jul 2015 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 2 Access: 3 Walked up to the hillfort during a visit to Croft Castle (National Trust). A leaflet was available from the N.T giving directions plus a number of 'points of interest' ie gateways,site of a rectangular structure (granary?),site of a Romano-British structure (Temple/Sanctuary?) but due to the time of year the bracken obscured just about everything,rendering much of the hillfort unrecognisable as such. I will revisit during the winter months when the 6' plus vegetation has died back!! Also couldn't locate the spring on this vist - maybe next time.



Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 2.67 Ambience: 3.33 Access: 2.67

Croft Ambrey
Croft Ambrey submitted by jfarrar : Southern Ramparts from outside the fort (Vote or comment on this photo)
Hillfort in Herefordshire

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Croft Ambrey
Croft Ambrey submitted by camperman : Croft Ambrey viewed from the south, roughly a D shape. From this aerial photo you can see the initial construction of a smaller earthwork enclosing 2.2 hectares. Phased occupation, final construction had a footprint of 8.4 hectares. (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Croft Ambrey
Croft Ambrey submitted by camperman : The inner bank looking south. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Croft Ambrey
Croft Ambrey submitted by camperman : A view from the north showing the steeper northern slope. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Croft Ambrey
Croft Ambrey submitted by camperman : A view from the east (Vote or comment on this photo)

Croft Ambrey
Croft Ambrey submitted by Bladup : Croft Ambrey, looking at the Western part of the fort from the (very green) path. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Croft Ambrey
Croft Ambrey submitted by Bladup : Croft Ambrey, by the Western entrance looking South East.

Croft Ambrey
Croft Ambrey submitted by Bladup : Croft Ambrey, looking South.

Croft Ambrey
Croft Ambrey submitted by Bladup : Croft Ambrey, looking South West from the middle of the fort.

Croft Ambrey
Croft Ambrey submitted by Bladup : Croft Ambrey, looking towards the South Western part of the fort.

Croft Ambrey
Croft Ambrey submitted by Bladup : Croft Ambrey, looking at the Eastern part of the fort.

Croft Ambrey
Croft Ambrey submitted by Bladup : Croft Ambrey, the largest Southern defences (with a big wide ditch) looking West South West. (1 comment)

Croft Ambrey
Croft Ambrey submitted by drolaf : View south from Croft Ambrey. summer 2015

Croft Ambrey
Croft Ambrey submitted by jfarrar : View from northern edge of fort

Croft Ambrey
Croft Ambrey submitted by jfarrar : Ramparts from the interior of the fort

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 1.2km SE 124° Bircher Common* Misc. Earthwork (SO454661)
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 13.0km SW 216° Tank Cottage Standing Stone (Menhir) (SO36615640)
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"Croft Ambrey" | Login/Create an Account | 7 News and Comments
  
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Re: Croft Ambrey by drolaf on Friday, 13 November 2015
(User Info | Send a Message)
This hill deserves a good day set aside and a picnic, as it is a fair hike and being a rarity in that its summit is meadow, not wooded, it’s well worth walking the entire hilltop as the panoramic views have a big WOW factor. One can see hazel and crab apple, and many springs at high level, giving an idea of local resources. Its position guarding the Lugg valley to the south, and as a halfway N-S border post, makes it a site of high importance on the cusp of the Iron age as the British prepared against threats from a war-torn and environmentally damaged Mediterranean.

The 2002 report: It does seem that there was a mix of building type at Croft. First defences were like its twin Pyon hill. The rectangular buildings, 7.8 ft x 6-12 ft, may have been granaries and storage, but there were also round buildings too. Some huts were rebuilt 6 times Over 600 years the SW and W gates were renewed 20 times. Pottery makes an appearance in the later stages, sourced from the Malverns (Hogg 1975).

Refs
Hogg A (1975) Hill forts of Britain. Hart-Davis, MacGibbon. London

SHE18473 - Unpublished Report: Ray, Keith and Tim Hoverd. 2003. Croft Castle Estate: An Archaeological Survey 2001-2002. Volume 1. Herefordshire Archaeology. 49.
SHE15928 - Unpublished Report: Ray, Keith and Tim Hoverd. 2003. Croft Castle Estate: An Archaeological Survey 2001-2002. Volume 2. Herefordshire Archaeology. 49.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Croft Ambrey by Anonymous on Sunday, 03 April 2011
I am interested in Croft Ambrey.
I do not understand why the buildings are rectangular whilst one would normally ecpect them to be circular.
Can anyone illuminate this?
I am Keith Turner - [email protected]
Thank you.
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Croft Ambrey by TobyDoar on Monday, 19 March 2012
    (User Info | Send a Message)
    what is the evidence that these rectangular structures were dwellings? (especially given the absence of pottery.)
    The whole layout looks superficially more like a graveyard than a town. Couldn't small rectangular structures supported by posts be more likely to be excarnation platforms?
    More information welcome please.
    [ Reply to This ]
      Re: Croft Ambrey by Anonymous on Tuesday, 11 November 2014
      Upon mature reflection I rather think that the structures might be the tribal centralised grain stores.

      Keith Turner
      [ Reply to This ]

Re: Croft Ambrey by jfarrar on Saturday, 10 January 2009
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Approached the fort from Croft Castle. It's a gentle climb, first past some of the avenue of Spanish Chestnuts, supposedly grown from nuts taken from the Spanish Armada and set out to represent the positions of the ships in the Spanish fleet. They are now coming to the end of their lives but remain beautiful if blasted hulks of trees.

The path climbs through Forestry Commission woodland then across common land of bracken and Hawthorn. The southern ramparts can be clearly seen. The path leads round to an entrance on the western side. The camp is triangular in site and was first occupied around 1050BCE. It was altered and rebuilt many times and although destroyed, probably by the Romans probably remained an important ceremonial site for many years.

The path leads across the camp to the northern edge which gives spectacular views (or would do if it wasn't so misty!)

Useful information of recent excavations is here on English Heritage site
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Croft Ambrey by Anonymous on Friday, 13 September 2002
(Comment from "Walker in the High Places".)

After Bury Ditches, this is the most magical & moving Site in the Marches.

Work out the relationship between this settlement and Pyon Wood Camp, then imagine the control exerted here over the Lugg valley below.
Ostorius Scapula burned the settlement in the 1st century as the Romans swept into Wales; but it's not inconceivable that Ambrosius Aurelianus briefly re-occuppied in the Dark Ages, hence the name.

Although the crest of the site is beautiful and desolate, do not go up here alone: like Bury Ditches, this place is not without its whispered echoes of past terrors... you can VERY quickly find yourself glancing over your shoulder as dusk draws in.

Look for the Spring, BTW - it is off the beaten track, but a holy little place to come across.
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Croft Ambrey by Anonymous on Wednesday, 18 September 2002
    I am so glad that someone else has associated this place with Ambrosius Aurelianus. Could this be the site of 'Mons Badonicus' (Mount Badon)? Did the victory here hault the Saxon advance into Cymru. Consider the geographical relationship with Wales as a whole.
    It is worth going to the Ambrey not just from Croft Castle but by exploring up from Yatton. This a wonderful part of the world.
    [ Reply to This ]

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