Rainsborough Camp Hillfort View all content for Rainsborough Camp

Details of hillfort on Pastscape (SP 526348) Rainsborough Camp (LB) (1) Excavations of Rainsborough camp during 1961-5 revealed the following. A bivallate IA fort, the inner bank standing about 10ft above the interior, with a drop of about 15ft into the inner ditch; the second bank is very much lowered by ploughing, but still reaches a height of about 4ft on the S side, where a hedge line has protected it; the outer ditch is not visible on the surface except on the W, when it carries a higher growth of weeds. ?6th/5thc BC postholes and scatter of occupation debris before construction of the first rampart. 5thc BC double rampart and ditch with an inturned entrance on the west, having two stone-lined C-shaped guardrooms set into the inturns. The inner rampart being stone faced. ?Early 4thc BC period of occupation; inner ditch cleaned out followed by deliberate burning of fort. ?Late 2nd c BC double bank ditch, simple inner entrance, perhaps unfinished. ?Late 1st c AD RB pottery of this date found in outer ditch indicating occupation. ?Late 4th c AD stone foundations of a 10ft square RB building, (the floor of which contained 20 coins, ranging in date from the 3rd to 4th c AD were set upon the filled-in inner ditch near the inner entrance causeway. In the 18thc the inner bank was heightened and inner ditch deepened; walling put round the summit of the inner bank for landscape gardening. Finds of early IA sherds dating from 6th to 2ndc BC, together with a bronze ring. (2) "Numerous Roman coins have been turned up here of late in the process of agricultural cultivation". (3) A plateau fort under permanent pasture and in fair condition despite many minor mutilations to the ramparts. See 1:2500 survey revised. The feature shown on Auth 2's plan and marked barrow is landscaping. (4) Nothing visible on air photographs. (5) No change to report of 10 2 70. Survey transferred to 1:2500 MSD. (6) Hill Fort (SP 526348). The possibility that the fort was the centre of a large Iron Age estate which remained intact into the medieval period has been suggested. [RCHM plan and profile]. (7-8) SP 526 348. Rainsborough. Listed in gazetteer as a multivallate hillfort covering 2.5ha. (9) Rainsborough or Charlton Camp. Additional reference with plan. (10)

Posted by Chance 25th July 2016ce

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