I’m sure Iron Age hillforts have their interest and like many in Northumberland the location is often stunning, as it was here. The many-walled fort was probably built more for show than for defense and may have been visible from some distance.
Similar to the Doddington Ringses, there is also traces here of man’s earlier use of the landscape by the finding of rock-art.
Two panels were found in the region of the fort in the 1860s and moved to Alnwick Castle Museum. They are illustrated by Stan Beckensall (2001 p166) who also shows the earlier drawings of Collingwood Bruce.
Apart from a rock slab given in the Beckensall archive as Beanley Moor 1, most of the carved rock now present in the landscape appear to be of the unimpressive cup-marked variety. They are certainly quite challenging to find, and even harder to interpret!
I’m certain there are more out there but there are alot of rocks to examine and in this game the light is not always perfect.
Site has relatively easy access. Parking on single track road next to track then walk 500m across rough but level (ish) ground.
First impressions are this can't be a defensive position. Ditch system is very defensive looking (in the west in particular) but the whole structure is not on the highest ground around and just doesn't look like a spot you would chose to defend.
Central area is on a slope facing roughly North and this slope directs the eye in that direction. Central area is not that big (certainly not big in relation to the effort that must have went into creating the ditch system). Whole feeling is more ritual than defensive.
The main entrance on the west side appears to be aligned with the hillfort 1000m away on much higher ground in the forest at Beanley Plantation. This fort seems to be in a much more defensive position - possible the two sites could be linked.
Mac