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Castle Ring

Staffordshire, England · Atlas EN3252

Castle Ring is a contour fort in Cannock Wood, Staffordshire, England.

Other names on the record: Castle Hill, Beaudesert, and Castle Ring Lodge.

It is recorded as extant, with a partial bivallate and partial multivallate rampart form, surface evidence of earthen bank, counterscarp bank, and unfinished work, and an enclosed area of 3.8 hectares.

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

The topographic record places it on a hilltop and a cliff, plateau edge, or scarp, at 242 m, and facing north.

Recorded land use includes commercial forestry and heath.

Dating evidence is recorded for 800–400 BC and 400 BC–AD 50 (Morphology/Earthwork/Typology).

A scheduled monument number is recorded (1014687).

Location

Atlas number
EN3252 (3252)
Country
England
Current county or unitary authority
Staffordshire
Historic county
Staffordshire
Parish, community, or townland
Cannock Wood
National Grid reference
SK 04421 12847
Latitude
52.71324
Longitude
-1.93600
Altitude
242 m

Form and condition

Type
contour fort
Condition
Extant
Morphology
partial bivallate and partial multivallate
Complete rampart circuit
Yes
Number of ramparts
4
Ramparts by quadrant
NE 4, SE 4, SW 3, NW 2
Number of ditches
4
Possible original entrances
1
Breaks through the ramparts
2
Enclosed area
3.8 ha
Footprint
6.3 ha
Enclosing works, as visible
earthen bank, counterscarp bank, and unfinished work
Also recorded
multi-period enclosure system and ditches
Entrance forms
In-turned (North east); Simple Gap (North east)

Landscape

Topographic position
hilltop and cliff, plateau edge, or scarp
Aspect
north
Land use
commercial forestry and heath

Dating

Dating
800–400 BC and 400 BC–AD 50
Dating evidence
Morphology/Earthwork/Typology
Dating reliability
D - None

Interior and investigation

Finds
lithics
Investigations
1st Identified Written Reference (1686); 1st Identified Map Depiction (1884); Other (1925); Other (1958); Other (1974); Geophysical Survey (1987); Earthwork Survey (1996); Excavation (1801-1900)

Identifiers

Scheduled monument number
1014687
HER
Staffordshire 00025-MST25
National record
record SK 01 SW 1; monument 304764
Wikidata
Q31113512

Sources

References

  1. Castle Ring: A large multivallate hillfort. Management Plan 2007-2014. http://www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/downloads/file/4089/castle_ring_management_plan_2012. Accessed August 2015
  2. Cocroft, W. Jecock, M and Ainsworth, S. 1987. RCHME Staffordshire Hillforts Project. Unpublished
  3. Page, W. 1908. The Victoria History of the Counties of England. A History of the County of Stafford, Vol. I, 336-338
  4. Plot, R. 1686. Natural History of Staffordshire.
  5. Shaw, S., 1798. The History and Antiquities of Staffordshire. J. Nichols and Son. (Republished 1976 by EP Publishing) Vol. 1, 40
  6. Strain, R. 1987. A Geophysical Survey of the Iron Age Hillfort of Castle Ring Staffordshire. Unpublished BA dissertation. Leicester University