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Ravensburgh Castle

Hertfordshire, England · Atlas EN1827

Ravensburgh Castle is a partial contour fort in Hexton, Hertfordshire, England.

It is recorded as extant, with a partial bivallate and partial multivallate rampart form, surface evidence of earthen bank, rubble, counterscarp bank, and berm, and an enclosed area of 6.5 hectares.

Banks or ramparts are the remains most likely to be visible.

The topographic record places it on a hilltop and at 137 m.

The aspect is recorded as level.

Recorded land use includes woodland.

Dating evidence is recorded for 400 BC–AD 50 (Artefactual and Morphology/Earthwork/Typology). Reliability is recorded as B - Medium.

A scheduled monument number is recorded (1003541).

Location

Atlas number
EN1827 (1827)
Country
England
Current county or unitary authority
Hertfordshire
Historic county
Bedfordshire
Parish, community, or townland
Hexton
National Grid reference
TL 0995 2950
Latitude
51.95336
Longitude
-0.40161
Altitude
137 m

Form and condition

Type
partial contour fort
Condition
Extant
Morphology
partial bivallate and partial multivallate
Complete rampart circuit
Yes
Number of ramparts
3
Ramparts by quadrant
NE 2, SE 2, SW 2, NW 3
Number of ditches
2
Possible original entrances
4
Breaks through the ramparts
6
Enclosed area
6.5 ha
Enclosing works, as visible
earthen bank, rubble, counterscarp bank, and berm
Enclosing works, excavated
timber-framed wall, timber-laced wall, counterscarp bank, and berm
Also recorded
multi-period enclosure system and ditches
Entrance forms
Out-turned (North west); Blocked (North west); Outworks (North west); In-turned (North west); Simple Gap (South east); In-turned (South east); Postern Gate (South west)

Landscape

Topographic position
hilltop
Aspect
level
Land use
woodland

Dating

Dating
400 BC–AD 50
Dating evidence
Artefactual and Morphology/Earthwork/Typology
Dating reliability
B - Medium

Interior and investigation

Interior surface
quarry hollows
Interior excavation
postholes
Finds
pottery, metal, animal bones, lithics, and environmental material
Investigations
1st Identified Written Reference (1640); Other (1724); Excavation (1964); Other (1974); 1st Identified Map Depiction (1885-1900); Excavation (1940-1949); Excavation (1970-1975); Other (2013-None)

Identifiers

Scheduled monument number
1003541
HER
Hertfordshire MHT31
National record
record TL 02 NE 7; monument 359533
Wikidata
Q31118172

Sources

References

  1. Brooks, I.P. 2015. Ravensburgh Hillfort geophysical survey, EAS Client Report 2015/10, Engineering Archaeological Services.
  2. Brown, I. 2015. Project outline and topographical and geophysical surveys of Ravensburgh Castle Hillfort, Hexton, Hertfordshire, Ravensburgh Castle Hillfort Project Interim Report No 1, Unpublished report University of Oxford.
  3. Clutterbuck, T. 1817. The history of Hertfordshire. Volume 3.
  4. Dyer, J. 1976. Ravensburgh Castle, Hertfordshire. In Harding, D. (ed) Hillforts. Later prehistoric earthworks in Britain and Ireland. London: Academic Press, 153-159.