<< Our Photo Pages >> Nottingham Hill - Hillfort in England in Gloucestershire

Submitted by 4clydesdale7 on Monday, 14 October 2002  Page Views: 22688

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Nottingham Hill Alternative Name: Nottingham Camp
Country: England County: Gloucestershire Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Bishop's Cleeve  Nearest Village: Woodman Cote
Map Ref: SO984284  Landranger Map Number: 150
Latitude: 51.954086N  Longitude: 2.024691W
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.
 no data 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
 4

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4clydesdale7 visited on 27th Nov 2011 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4 The history of this site is fascinating - all sorts of artefacts have been discovered

h_fenton have visited here

Nottingham Hill
Nottingham Hill submitted by h_fenton : The far northern extremity of Nottingham Hill fort. The large ramparts of the fort lie in the trees beyond the green fields on top of the hill - about 1km down the track (near the centre of the photograph). Kite Aerial Photograph 13 November 2011 (Vote or comment on this photo)
This hill fort or camp is of a type for which Gloucestershire has become renowned - it comes from the same type/group as those other large camps Bagendon; Minchinhampton; Norbury (Farmington) to name but a few - none of these Camps has undergone much excavation for they are all very very large - this one about 120 acres - a theory which became prominent in the 1950s suggested that they may all be stock enclosures -

Whether that theory is allowed to continue is a moot point - none of the group has provided much hard evidence of occupation - all are said to exhibit present day crop marks - all were said (by the Victorians) to have several barrows within their confines - but it is the old problem - where in such an extensive area do you start digging? -

Nottingham Hill is very easy to get to and will reward those who take their time to 'soak in the atmosphere' - I promise you, you will come away with more questions than answers

The Camp is about 5 miles north of Cheltenham and 1.5 miles northwest of Winchcombe and is best approached from the southeast where a short back road from the Cheltenham/Winchcombe Road takes you to within a stone's throw of the earthworks

Technically the camp is an Iron Age Promontory Hillfort with a very steep crescent shaped natural scarp to the southwest (via north) to the east and gives the visitor a magnificent view to the Malvern and Bredon Hills over the Severn Valley the Avon and Evesham Vales - it is not level being lower in the SE than it is in the NW - it is bisected by an ancient trackway which joins further S an old salt track called the White Way - the SE is protected by two banks and two ditches which are interrupted by the track - I suspect that 100m to the SE of this entrance there are possibly more (protective) earthworks -

Despite what English Heritage state there are signs within of a possible series of barrows including large stones (too large for stone-walling) and about 1.5 km north, of course, can be found Odo and Dodo which are reputed to have been found on the site in the 1850s

The Camp was named both Cocca Byrig and Cocca Burh (Cock's Camp) in the Saxon Charters - there is a moated area near Gotherington, below the scarp, called Cockbury and one theory suggests that the Camp may be Tocca's Camp which the experts have failed to find -

The Camp is mentioned in Rudders History of Gloucestershire (1779); G.Witts Archaeological Handbook of Glos (1883) - Camp No 75; E J Burrow Ancient Entrenchments and Camps of Glos (1919) A H A Hogg British Hillforts (1979) and as ever pastscape Monument 117615

Some items that have been found include (as well as Odo and Dodo) Cup & Ring Marked Stones (1982) and a Bronze Age hoard (of mainly swords) (1972) - details of the excavations may be found in the Transactions of the Bristol & Glos Archeological Society (and are very interesting reading)

All in all a thought provoking site
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Nottingham Hill
Nottingham Hill submitted by RyNorfolk : South western side, quarrying lumps and bumps. photo by Cate Davies (9 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Nottingham Hill
Nottingham Hill submitted by h_fenton : Looking southwards from the north western edge (left of photo) of Nottingham Hill, views over Bishops Cleeve and the Severn Valley. Kite Aerial Photograph 13 November 2011 (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Nottingham Hill
Nottingham Hill submitted by geraldaf : Summer Solstice sun rise from Nottingham Hill towards Meon Hill. The next morning. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Nottingham Hill
Nottingham Hill submitted by geraldaf : Solstice sunset from top of Nottingham Hill rolling down North hill the Malverns. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Nottingham Hill Carving (Gotherington)
Nottingham Hill Carving (Gotherington) submitted by HarryTwenty : Close up of the carving which is on display in the Corinium Museum See our sitepage

Nottingham Hill Carving (Gotherington)
Nottingham Hill Carving (Gotherington) submitted by HarryTwenty : Nottingham Hill carving.

Nottingham Hill Carving (Gotherington)
Nottingham Hill Carving (Gotherington) submitted by HarryTwenty : Another view of the stone. Couldn't get an unobstructed shot because of the display case.

Nottingham Hill Carving (Gotherington)
Nottingham Hill Carving (Gotherington) submitted by HarryTwenty : Nottingham Hill carving lower right, next to the Neolithic coat racks.

Nottingham Hill Carving (Gotherington)
Nottingham Hill Carving (Gotherington) submitted by HarryTwenty : This is an example of the pieces of stone scattered over the area; bits of weathered limestone containing track marks of the marine creatures that once lived in the sediment.

Nottingham Hill Carving (Gotherington)
Nottingham Hill Carving (Gotherington) submitted by HarryTwenty : Lots of bits of Cotswold stone scattered all over the area, if you can find the carving good luck to you! Had a fairly good look but think the likely options are that it's either been buried, broken up by farm machinery or the cows that live in the field or removed by human hands.

Nottingham Hill Carving (Gotherington)
Nottingham Hill Carving (Gotherington) submitted by HarryTwenty : The stone, if it still exists, is somewhere in this area! (Note - Since posting these photos it has been disclosed that the stone is now in the Corinium museum).

Nottingham Hill
Nottingham Hill submitted by geraldaf : Six minutes between first sight and this photo.

Nottingham Hill
Nottingham Hill submitted by geraldaf : More sun roll.

Nottingham Hill
Nottingham Hill submitted by geraldaf : Last moments. Next morning coming soon.

Nottingham Hill
Nottingham Hill submitted by geraldaf : Two minutes later.

Nottingham Hill
Nottingham Hill submitted by geraldaf : All pictures taken from center of hillfort.

Nottingham Hill
Nottingham Hill submitted by 4clydesdale7 : The SE bank and ditch looking SW.

Nottingham Hill
Nottingham Hill submitted by 4clydesdale7 : The Victorians suggested there were several barrows within the 120 acre camp. Could these be some of the stones from within those barrows ? They are certainly large enough and the correct shape, much like some of the stones removed from barrows more recently in the Nailsworth area.

Nottingham Hill
Nottingham Hill submitted by 4clydesdale7 : The SE inner bank and ditch looking NE.

Nottingham Hill
Nottingham Hill submitted by 4clydesdale7 : The SE outer ditch and bank looking NE.

Nottingham Hill
Nottingham Hill submitted by Creative Commons : Nottingham Hill Fort Earthworks The hill Fort on Nottingham Hill is very large. It is defended by two banks and two ditches running across the neck of the hill. Copyright Bob Embleton and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 353m E 98° Nottingham Hill Carving (Gotherington)* Rock Art (SO98752835)
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Re: Nottingham Hill by Anonymous on Tuesday, 28 January 2020
The carved stone is in Corinium Museum.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Nottingham Hill by 4clydesdale7 on Monday, 28 November 2011
(User Info | Send a Message)
This Camp is of a type for which Gloucestershire has become renown - it comes from the same type/group as those other large camps Bagendon; Minchinhampton; Norbury (Farmington) to name but a few - none of these Camps has undergone much excavation for they are all very very large - this one about 120 acres - a theory which became prominent in the 1950s suggested that they may all be stock enclosures -
Whether that theory is allowed to continue is a moot point - none of the group has provided much hard evidence of occupation - all are said to exhibit present day crop marks - all were said (by the Victorians) to have several barrows within their confines - but it is the old problem - where in such an extensive area do you start digging? -

Nottingham Hill is very easy to get to and will reward those who take their time to 'soak in the atmosphere' - I promise you, you will come away with more questions than answers

The Camp is about 5 miles north of Cheltenham and 1.5 miles northwest of Winchcombe and is best approached from the southeast where a short back road from the Cheltenham/Winchcombe Road takes you to within a stone's throw of the earthworks

Technically the camp is an Iron Age Promontory Hillfort with a very steep crescent shaped natural scarp to the southwest (via north) to the east and gives the visitor a magnificent view to the Malvern and Bredon Hills over the Severn Valley the Avon and Evesham Vales - it is not level being lower in the SE than it is in the NW - it is bisected by an ancient trackway which joins further S an old salt track called the White Way - the SE is protected by two banks and two ditches which are interrupted by the track - I suspect that 100m to the SE of this entrance there are possibly more (protective) earthworks -

Despite what English Heritage state there are signs within of a possible series of barrows including large stones (too large for stone-walling) and about 1.5 km north, of course, can be found Odo and Dodo which are reputed to have been found on the site in the 1850s

The Camp was named both Cocca Byrig and Cocca Burh (Cock's Camp) in the Saxon Charters - there is a moated area near Gotherington, below the scarp, called Cockbury and one theory suggests that the Camp may be Tocca's Camp which the experts have failed to find -

The Camp is mentioned in Rudders History of Gloucestershire (1779); G.Witts Archaeological Handbook of Glos (1883) - Camp No 75; E J Burrow Ancient Entrenchments and Camps of Glos (1919) A H A Hogg British Hillforts (1979) and as ever pastscape Monument 117615

Some items that have been found include (as well as Odo and Dodo) Cup & Ring Marked Stones (1982) and a Bronze Age hoard (of mainly swords) (1972) - details of the excavations may be found in the Transactions of the Bristol & Glos Archeological Society (and are very interesting reading)

All in all a thought provoking site


[ Reply to This ]

Re: Nottingham Hill by coldrum on Sunday, 03 January 2010
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The following information from Pastscape.

"A multiphase site at Nottingham Hill comprising a Bronze Age barrow cemetery and the site of a Bronze Age hoard, plus an Iron Age promontory hillfort with coin evidence for Roman occupation and documentary evidence of Early Medieval occupation (see SO 92 NE 7). The ramparts of the Iron Age promontory hillfort are partially visible as earthworks on aerial photographs, comprising a linear ditch that extends for 485m roughly south-west / north-east across the promontory spur and is flanked to either side by a linear bank, with a break where the lane to Cockbury Farm passes through them. The south-western end of these features may have been damaged by quarrying and the north-eastern end is obsured by tree cover. The rest of the perimeter is defined by natural scarps. Circular enclosures sited within the hillfort and noted as cropmarks on aerial photographs appear to be agricultural tractor markings."

http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=117615
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Nottingham Hill by Anonymous on Friday, 07 April 2006
So big we couldn't see it untill we were walking out again, it is the whole of the top of the hill!! Earth works are impressive and in the trees mainly. some sides of the fort are obviously natural defenses improved in parts. These people didn't mess about.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Nottingham Hill by Anonymous on Monday, 27 February 2006
Havn't visited it yet but it makes a wonderful view from our front window
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