<< Our Photo Pages >> Eaton Camp - Promontory Fort / Cliff Castle in England in Herefordshire

Submitted by elensentier on Saturday, 06 August 2011  Page Views: 10652

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Eaton Camp
Country: England County: Herefordshire Type: Promontory Fort / Cliff Castle
 Nearest Village: Ruckhall
Map Ref: SO454393
Latitude: 52.049387N  Longitude: 2.797604W
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
 5

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Eaton Camp
Eaton Camp submitted by elensentier : Geophys from March 2011 ArcheoPhysica helped complete the geophysics work on the National Trust portion of the hill fort. We now have some clear indications of where we may want to excavate. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Promontory Fort in Herefordshire. An Iron Age fort with a rampart in it's western part. It has natural defences on the north and south-east sides. The defences on the approach side are massive, bivallate although the outer bank is now much spread and is completely destroyed in places.

The inner bank is up to 5.0m high and turns at the south end to complete the defences. Several modern breaks occur along the bank and the entrance, though no longer apparent was probably at the NW corner.

Source PastScape.


Note: Report from the Eaton Camp Guided Walk, and geophysics carried out in March finds possible roundhouses which are due to be dug in October
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Eaton Camp
Eaton Camp submitted by elensentier : The new steps installed at Eaton Camp with the help of the National Trust. English Heritage approval was required before construction, as well as having an archaeologist on site to monitor and record the results of digging post holes . There were no archaeology finds in the two post holes, but there was some evident soil stratification. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Eaton Camp
Eaton Camp submitted by elensentier : Eaton Camp Guided Walk 10 July 2011 (Vote or comment on this photo)

Eaton Camp
Eaton Camp submitted by elensentier (Vote or comment on this photo)

Eaton Camp
Eaton Camp submitted by elensentier : Guided Walk July 2011 - coming down from the highest part of the hillfort (Vote or comment on this photo)

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Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
SO4539 : Arable land on the Wye floodplain by Jonathan Billinger
by Jonathan Billinger
©2019(licence)
SO4538 : Cottages and woods around Ruckhall Mill by Jonathan Billinger
by Jonathan Billinger
©2007(licence)
SO4538 : Road approaching Ruckhall by Philip Halling
by Philip Halling
©2012(licence)
SO4538 : Ruckhall Wood by Philip Halling
by Philip Halling
©2012(licence)
SO4539 : River Wye by Breinton Common by Jonathan Billinger
by Jonathan Billinger
©2007(licence)

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Eaton Camp Guided Walk, Sun 15th July by Andy B on Saturday, 14 July 2012
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County: Herefordshire

Sunday, 15th July 2012; 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Eaton Camp Iron Age hill fort is the site of a recent Heritage Lottery funded community archaeology dig. This year's walk, sponsored jointly with the National Trust, will include an explanation of the exciting findings by Archaeologist Tim Hoverd of Herefordshire Archaeology. Learn more about life in the Iron Age and enjoy some lovely woods along the River Wye. The guided walk is free. Tea & cake afterwards with proceeds going to the Eaton Camp Historical Society. , ,

The walk of approximately 2-1/2 mi. starts at 2:00pm from the Eaton Bishop Village Hall. Wear stout shoes, ,

Directions: From Hereford take A465 Abergavenny Road south past Belmont/Tesco roundabout. Right on B4349 through Clehonger. Turn right at Eaton Bishop sign and continue into the village. The Village Hall is a Tudor style building on the left. Park behind the hall., , Note: No dogs please as there are grazing animals on site. , ,

Location: Eaton Bishop Village Hall, Eaton Bishop . Take A465 Abergavenny Road to B4349. Continue through Clehonger. Turn right at Eaton Bishop sign and continue into village. The Eaton Bishop Village Hall is on the left. Park behind the hall.

Org: Eaton Camp Historical Society and the National Trust
Name: Nancy Saldana
Tel: 01981-251285
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.Eatoncamp.wordpress.com

Part of the Festival of British Archaeology 2012
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Caesium Magnetometry geophysics by Andy B on Saturday, 06 August 2011
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Photos of the Caesium Magnetometry geophysics being carried out here

http://eatoncamp.wordpress.com/2011/06/29/caesium-magnetometry/
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Report from the Eaton Camp Guided Walk, geophysics finds possible roundhouses by Andy B on Saturday, 06 August 2011
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In the afternoon the weather blessed us with fine but not too hot temperatures so our guided walk was comfortable as well as interesting. The walk began at the village hall in Eaton Bishop where people were able to park their cars and gather together. Chris Atkinson, our community archaeologist met them and led them down to the village of Ruckhall, the edge of the hillfort, where they met up with us locals who had foregathered at the crossroads to wait for them. 43 people in all came on the walk, some from as far away as Solihull and Sussex.

Chris began by showing and telling us about the ramparts at the back of the hillfort; it appears it may well have been extended, increased in size; this was not uncommon in hillforts, they grew to accommodate their population’s needs. Much of the ramparts are in or the edges of, private gardens – obviously we cannot dig these up so the archaeologists must work from experience and conjecture but there is much evidence from other sites to help us.

We carried on around the back of the hillfort and down the green lane to the new steps leading up to the national Trust land. These are such a help and enable a circular walk around the hillfort. Inside, Chris pointed out the ramparts again from the other side, it made a lot of sense. He also explained how the old field system had been in mediaeval times, long strips probably of an acre each … an acre was as much as one horse and man could plough in a day. See the Eaton Camp pages (linked below) for a picture of the Forrabury Stitches – an ancient field system owned by the National Trust, near Boscastle, and still run on the mediaeval lines – which shows how it would have looked.

We had an extra member arrive at this point, a beautiful black cow just about to drop her calf and calling to us. We moved off as we felt we were right where she wanted to give birth … hope all goes well for her.

Chris led us on to the main, highest point of the hillfort. Here he explained more of how the archaeology had been done so far, drawing up detailed maps of every bump and hollow – painstakingly done by local volunteer members of the Eaton Camp Historical Society. Then there had been the first level of geophysics which had highlighted some potentially interesting spots that might be the bases of roundhouses. Archaeophysica a locally based international company expert in this sort of thing, recently did a magnetronomy survey of all the National Trust land which has added more information. We intend to test it out in October when begin the actual digging.

Chris took us down to the banks that are the edge of the old orchards. These were laid down by much more recent quarrying for “road-stone”, the terraces being filled in later to provide the basis for the orchards. They must have been glorious to look at in the spring, a steep hillside covered in apple blossom; then in the autumn the trees all sparkling with rubies and garnets as the ripe apples hung waiting to be picked. There were a lot of cider apples but also some desert apples – it’s possible we may find some half-forgotten Hereford varieties, part of the conservation work maybe.

Chris speculated on what the promontory point at the end of the site might have been. It stands out almost into the Wye, like the prow of a ship. You could certainly get a good view from there when the scrub is cleared. It stands at the confluence of the Cagebrook and the Wye, often such places had a religious significance for our ancestors. There have been mills on the Cagebrook for centuries and there are the ruins of an ancient quay where the brook joins the river. The Wye has been a high road for trade for millennia.

We came on down from the hillfort. One of the local residents had generously offered to host tea and cakes at her lovely house; we all gathered there quickly as the sky opened and all the rain it had saved up came down in bath-loads! The land around was very grateful for the downpour, we

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Eaton Camp Historical Society by Andy B on Saturday, 18 June 2011
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http://www.madley.org.uk/nfHome.asp?Section=Eaton+Camp+Historical+Society&ButtonPressed=Sadmin125920

http://eatoncamp.wordpress.com
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Eaton Camp hill fort dig gets Heritage Lottery funding by Andy B on Saturday, 18 June 2011
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Archaeological investigations to find out who built an Iron Age hill fort in Herefordshire have been awarded Heritage Lottery funding.

The Eaton Camp Historical Society say the grant of £28,500 will enable them to investigate who built the hill fort and what it was used for.

It covers a 7 hectare (18 acre) site overlooking the River Wye, near Hereford.

Local schools will be involved in the archaeology work.

The award will also fund the clearing of existing walks and footpaths, alongside the creation of new ones, making it easier for people to get to the site.

Anne Jenkins, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund West Midlands, said: "So much about the history and origins of Eaton Camp Iron Age hill fort are yet to be discovered.

"With our support the Eaton Camp Historical Society will be able to undertake archaeological research, to help further understand this fascinating local heritage treasure, whilst giving people from across the community the chance to get involved in the project work and learn more about their history."

Most of the hill fort is owned by the National Trust, but a number of local residents also own portions of the land on which the earthworks are built.

The National Trust are looking to work in partnership with the project to improve public access to the historic site as well as creating new history trails.

Source: BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/herefordandworcester/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9390000/9390586.stm
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