Yeavering Bell hill fort plundered by treasure hunters

Submitted by Andy B on Friday, 04 October 2002 Page Views: 5892

One of the North's most important prehistoric monuments has been seriously damaged by metal detectorists, claim archaeologists.

By Tony Henderson, The Journal

Northumberland National Park had negotiated a public access agreement with landowner Lord Anthony Hill to Yeavering Bell Iron Age hill fort near Wooler under its Discovering Our Hillforts heritage project.

Archaeologists have expressed outrage after the discovery that 34 holes had been dug at the hill fort site which is on the northern fringes of the Cheviot Hills.

National park archaeologist Dr Rob Young said that digging on what is a protected scheduled ancient monument is illegal and carried the penalty of two years' jail or an unlimited fine.

"This is a serious and worrying development in the national park. Such damage had never occurred on this scale before.

"The idiots who did this have spoiled things for everyone else at what is a special and fantastic place. This kind of illegal activity brings the large numbers of responsible metal detectorists into disrepute.

"The actions of a few selfish individuals might well create problems for serious enthusiasts with landowners in the future."

Lord Hill said: "Park staff have worked closely with local landowners over the last 10 years to set up some really good management agreements for ancient monuments. These guarantee public access to many sites where it was previously impossible. Activity like this threatens all of that good work."

Yeavering Bell is the largest hillfort in Northumberland with evidence of 125 roundhouses in its interior.

It was almost certainly regarded as a sacred hill by prehistoric people and may have links with nearby Ad Gefrin, the royal site of the Northumbrian Anglo-Saxon King Edwin.

Dr Young said: "The holes are all a spade's width and were dug on the side of the hill fort away from a local farm and village of Kirknewton by people who didn't want to be seen.

"Each ancient monument is unique and they represent a fragile resource which action like this damages irreparably.

"Objects removed from any site of this kind of uncontrolled way lose all of their historic value as we have no understanding of precisely where on the site they have come from."

* A major North-East prehistoric find - unearthed by a rookie metal detectorist - may have been an offering to the gods by a Bronze Age chieftain.

The 3,000-year-old pot packed with more than 100 items was buried 12 inches under a field on a development site overlooking Hartlepool Bay. The hoard includes jet and amber beads and bronze rings.

Archaeologist Robin Daniels, of Tees Archaeology, said: "My initial hunch is that this could have been an offering to the gods. Perhaps it was a location which has a particular meaning for these people. It is a collection which would have belonged to somebody of very high status. It is of major regional importance."

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