Monument record 1677/1 - Hillfort defences

{1} A plan in Northampton Public Library, dated 1798, shows the Hunsbury hillfort shaped like a playing card shape, with entrances to the east and northwest. Another plan dated 1837, now in Northampton Museum, shows the fort with three entrances; the additional entrance to the northeast was thought to be modern because the ditch was not completely filled, whereas the northwest entrance was said to be old. The bank and ditch were said to have been planted (with trees?) by that time.
In 1874 Dryden noted that the bank had been long spread and showed little relief, and that the east entrance was at that time 12ft wide. Quarrying for ironstone took place within the hillfort between 1880 and 1886 and much of the interior was then destroyed. A quarry face appears to have left exposed close to the back of the rampart on the north side, but elsewhere the quarried area was backfilled and quarry spoil could have been thrown on to the rampart itself. A new tramway entrance was made on the northwest side which was reported to be 70 yards north of the old entrance. The spoil from this appears to have been deposited in the ditch to the south.
Two sections were cut across the defences in 1952 under the direction of Professor Atkinson and at this time photographs show grass growing on the rampart and much less tree and shrub growth than there is today. This suggests that grazing may have kept the vegetation down until that time. Just prior to 1952 the eastern entrance was widened by a “bulldozer” to enable better access for farm machinery. This widening resulted in the front of the rampart being cut away to the north of the entrance and this can be seen on the section of Professor Atkinson’s east cutting. The hilifort is now situated in parkland and footpaths and cycle tracks have accelerated the erosion of the earthworks. Sections cut across the rampart by the writer in 1988, and by Professor Atkinson in 1952, show that on the north side the back of the rampart has seriously eroded in the section where quarrying presumably left an open face. In this area the height of the surviving rampart is now extremely variable and its central point is staggered in relation to the rear revettment.
Survey of Hunsbury Hillfort ramparts.

{2} Condition survey of the ramparts

{3} Trial trenching within the hillfort located the quarry edge, showing that the surviving unquarried area within the hillfot is larger than previously imagined.

{4} Condition survey of the ramparts.

<1> Jackson, D., 1997, An Archaeological and Botanical Survey of the Hunsbury Hillfort Defences, (checked) (Typescript Report). SNN43948.

<2> FREKE D., 1998, HUNSBURY HILL CAMP, NORTHAMPTON CONDITIONS SURVEY, (checked) (Report). SNN62842.

<3> Jackson D.; Tingle M., 2004, Hunsbury Hill Fort: A New Survey, p.4 (checked) (Full Report). SNN105160.

<4> Jackson D.; Tingle M., 2004, Hunsbury Hill Fort: A New Survey, Appendix 3 (checked) (Full Report). SNN105160.

<5> Jackson, D. & Tingle, M., 2012, An Archaeological Survey of the Hunsbury Hillfort Defences, 37/113-16 (checked) (Article). SNN108365.

Record last edited

Oct 13 2022 8:43AM