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Pitchbury Ramparts

Essex, England · Atlas EN3612

Pitchbury Ramparts is a level-terrain fort in Great Horkesley, Essex, England.

Other names on the record: Pitchbury Rings.

It is recorded as extant, with a partial univallate and partial bivallate rampart form, surface evidence of earthen bank, counterscarp bank, and unfinished work, and an enclosed area of 1.9 hectares.

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

The topographic record places it on lowland and a spur and at 53 m.

The aspect is recorded as level.

Recorded land use includes woodland and arable.

Dating evidence is recorded for 800–400 BC, 400 BC–AD 50, and AD 50–400 (Artefactual and C14). Reliability is recorded as B - Medium.

A scheduled monument number is recorded (1019959).

Location

Atlas number
EN3612 (3612)
Country
England
Current county or unitary authority
Essex
Historic county
Essex
Parish, community, or townland
Great Horkesley
National Grid reference
TL 96642 28982
Latitude
51.92457
Longitude
0.85842
Altitude
53 m

Form and condition

Type
level-terrain fort
Condition
Extant
Morphology
partial univallate and partial bivallate
Complete rampart circuit
Yes
Number of ramparts
2
Ramparts by quadrant
NE 2, SE 2, SW 2, NW 1
Number of ditches
2
Possible original entrances
1
Breaks through the ramparts
2
Enclosed area
1.9 ha
Enclosing works, as visible
earthen bank, counterscarp bank, and unfinished work
Enclosing works, excavated
earthen bank
Also recorded
multi-period enclosure system and ditches
Entrance forms
Simple Gap (North east)

Landscape

Topographic position
lowland and spur
Aspect
level
Land use
woodland and arable

Dating

Dating
800–400 BC, 400 BC–AD 50, and AD 50–400
Dating evidence
Artefactual and C14
Dating reliability
B - Medium

Interior and investigation

Interior excavation
pits
Finds
pottery and lithics
Investigations
1st Identified Map Depiction (1759); 1st Identified Written Reference (1759); Excavation (1924); Excavation (1933); Excavation (1973); Geophysical Survey (1973); Other (1973)

Identifiers

Scheduled monument number
1019959
HER
Essex 11654
National record
record TL 92 NE 23; monument 383781
Wikidata
Q31117555

Sources

References

  1. Clark , A. 1973. Geophysics: Pitchbury Camp, Essex, AML Report (Old Series) 1608
  2. Crummy, P. and Cruso T. Pitchbury Ramparts Excavations 1933 and 1973, in Hawkes, C. F. C. and Crummy, P. 1995. Colchester Archaeological Report 11: Camulodunum 2. Colchester Archaeological Trust Ltd. 138-154. http://cat.essex.ac.uk/reports/CAR-report-0011.pdf. Accessed November 2015