Hillforts Map

Home / England / Cheshire West and Chester / Kelsborrow Castle

Kelsborrow Castle

Cheshire West and Chester, England · Atlas EN3188

Kelsborrow Castle is a promontory fort in Delamere, Cheshire West and Chester, England.

It is recorded as both extant and likely destroyed, with a partial univallate rampart form, surface evidence of earthen bank, and an enclosed area of 3.3 hectares.

Survival on the ground may be uneven.

The topographic record places it on an inland promontory, at 122 m, and facing south.

Recorded land use includes pasture and scrub or bracken.

Dating evidence is recorded for 1200–800 BC (C14). Reliability is recorded as B - Medium.

A scheduled monument number is recorded (1013294).

Location

Atlas number
EN3188 (3188)
Country
England
Current county or unitary authority
Cheshire West and Chester
Historic county
Cheshire
Parish, community, or townland
Delamere
National Grid reference
SJ53156750
Latitude
53.20251
Longitude
-2.70284
Altitude
122 m

Form and condition

Type
promontory fort
Condition
Extant and Likely destroyed
Morphology
partial univallate
Complete rampart circuit
No
Number of ramparts
1
Ramparts by quadrant
NE 1, SE 1, SW 0, NW 1
Number of ditches
1
Possible original entrances
1
Breaks through the ramparts
3
Enclosed area
3.3 ha
Footprint
3.64 ha
Enclosing works, as visible
earthen bank
Enclosing works, excavated
earthen bank
Also recorded
ditches
Entrance forms
Simple Gap (South east)

Landscape

Topographic position
inland promontory
Aspect
south
Land use
pasture and scrub or bracken
Water source
spring

Dating

Dating
1200–800 BC
Dating evidence
C14
Dating reliability
B - Medium

Interior and investigation

Finds
metal
Investigations
Other (1810); Other (1882); Excavation (1973); Geophysical Survey (1996); LiDAR Survey (2009); Geophysical Survey (2010); Excavation (2011); 1st Identified Map Depiction (1874-1875); Other (2007-2011)

Identifiers

Scheduled monument number
1013294
HER
Cheshire MCH8384 (second identifier 833/1)
National record
record SJ 56 NW 9; monument 71310
Wikidata
Q6386457

Sources

References

  1. Coombs, D.G. 1988. A note on the rampart of the hillfort of Kelsborrow, Cheshire, Manchester Arch Bull, 3, 64-7.
  2. Garner, D. 2012. Hillforts of the Cheshire Sandstone Ridge, Monograph, Habitats and Hillforts Landscape Partnership Scheme, Chester: Cheshire West and Chester Council.
  3. Garner, D. 2014. Helsby Hill to Maiden Castle: Prehistoric forts of the Cheshire Ridge, In ed. Saunders, T., Hillforts in the North West and Beyond, Archaeological North West: New Series, 3 (2014), Council for British Archaeology North West, 28-41.
  4. Garner, D. 2016. Hillforts of the Cheshire Ridge. Investigations undertaken by the Habitats and Hillforts Landscape Partnership Scheme 2009-2012. Oxford: Archaeopress.
  5. Morgan, V. and Morgan, P. 2004, Prehistoric Cheshire, Landmark Collector's Library, Ashbourne: Landmark Publishing, 148.
  6. Ormerod, G. 1882. The History of Cheshire, 2nd Ed.
  7. Quarterman, A. 2000-01. Note, J Chester Arch Soc, 76.