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Hillfort
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Details of the Hillfort on Pastscape
This is an Iron Age, bivallate, contour hill fort enclosing about seven acres. The inner bank is mostly 5ft. high but increases to 10ft. at the east end of the camp. There are entrances on the S.E. and N.W. and the latter appears to be original. It formerly had an outturned bank on its S. side. Gray (3) believes the S.E. gap to be original, and here the bank shows traces of a stone core. Also on the S.E. is a much ploughed down bank, (H-I), [See Illustrations Card] about 1ft. high by 10ft. wide, with a shallow outer ditch; it appears to be an outwork. (2-4) Maesbury, a bi-vallate hillfort which presents some unusual features. Both the opposed entrances have been damaged: that to
the N.W. has ramparts abutting at right-angles and a slight ditch, extending N.W. fom the S. side of the entrance, suggests an embryonic out-turning. The "outwork" at the S.E. could possibly have been intended for another out-turned or covered entrance. On the W. side scarping of the main rampart has not been completed, thus leaving a berm at the original ground level between rampart and ditch. The outer rampart is also incomplete. It is simply an interspace on the S.W. side, a weak single bank on the S. & E. sides and a double bank on the N. Throughout, the impression gained is that Maesbury is an unfinished hillfort. Re-surveyed at 1/2500. ST 611472: Maesbury Castle, scheduled. (7)
Maesbury, originally called "Marksbury", mentioned in boundary charterof 702. (8)
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Posted by Chance
20th January 2014ce
Edited 20th January 2014ce
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