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Tourner Bury

Plateau Fort

Also known as:
  • Monument No. 462185
  • Tunorbury
  • Tournorbury

Nearest Town:West Wittering (5km E)
OS Ref (GB):   SZ732999 / Sheet: 197
Latitude:50° 47' 36.37" N
Longitude:   0° 57' 40.7" W

Added by ginger tt


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Details of site on Pastscape

(Area centred at SZ 7315 9986) Tourner Bury (OE) Moat (OE) Tunorbury or Tournorbury is situated within 100 yards of the shore, the ground all round being flat and on the N and S marshy. The bank and ditch enclose a circular area of 8 1/2 acres. The bank is 4 feet above ground level and 10 feet above the ditch, which is wet except on the W where it is marshy. There is no entrance except that of the modern road. Excavations have been made but nothing dateable found. There is a slight bank on the counterscarp. No evidence is known for the earth work being as alleged, Saxon or Danish, and from its form, size and profile one would certainly class it with the woodland ring-works. Listed as 'Hill-top fortress'. (2)
Tournerbury or Tunorbery, on oval camp, 240 x 200 yards of possibly IA date. 'Mr Trigg had two trenches dug across and others at right angles' and found only two pieces of British pottery 'and' remains of fires under the surrounding earthwork.
Excavated 11/59 under the direction of Mr J R Boyden. A trench through the rampart revealed, at the outer edge, two Norman pots, (probably strays) &, under the rampart itself, on the old surface line, two tiny scraps of pottery, possibly Iron Age .
A univallate IA fort situated on low lying ground. To the north and south is marshy ground which was probably tidal before the construction of the sea-wall. No evidence regarding the name was found.
Two further sections dug by Richard Bradley in 1968 produced fragments of four IA vessels on the land surface contemporary with the rampart.
Tournerbury has some features in common with other small Hampshire ringworks, but there is too little evidence to date it closely. The function of the enclosure remains unknown. There is evidence of re-use in the Roman period by associated pottery of about 250-400 AD.
Chance Posted by Chance
7th June 2014ce

Earthwork remains of an Iron Age univallate plateau hillfort ginger tt Posted by ginger tt
26th October 2009ce