Corby's Bridge Iron Age and Romano-British settlement (Edlingham)
A native fort with multiple ramparts of stone (in fair condition) and associated enclosures. (1)
Centred NU 12650969. This enclosure is situated on a saddle between two tors. The tor to the west has been utilised as part of the outer rampart but the tor to the east overlooks the enclosure. The ground on the remaining three sides slopes away but the defensive situation is not good.
The ramparts consist of large stones built up into rough walls and forming two irregularly shaped and non-concentric enclosures. The outer wall is the stronger having an average width of 6m and varying in height from 0.6m to 1.5m, while the inner rampart has an average width of 4m and a height of 0.6m.
There are the remains of a ditch outside both the inner and outer walls. The outer ditch has an average width of 8m and a depth of 1m while the corresponding measurements for the inner ditch are 9m and 0.7m.
The outer rampart has three entrances. That to the north is of simple type but that to the south east has one wall inturned and is marked on the north by an upright stone. The south west entrance has one wall turned outwards to form a wall across the end of the adjoining ditch. The inner rampart has a single simple entrance.
There is no evidence of habitation within the enclosed area which is badly overgrown with grass. There is a stream just to the north giving a convenient water supply.
To the south of the enclosure there are vague traces of other walls together with natural rock outcrop and old field banks. Their fragmentary nature did not permit surveying or conclusions regarding their purpose, but they may represent the remains of the annexes or associated enclosures referred to in T1.
No conclusions were drawn regarding the purpose of this enclosure which although in a poor defensive situation has artificial defences which in places are stronger than need be for pastoral purposes. Probably native in origin. (2)
NU 128102. Corby's Crags listed under pre-Roman Iron Age multivallate forts, settlements and enclosures. (3)
Surveyed at 1:2500. (4)
Situated at NU 12650969 on a rocky hill spur there is a settlement consisting of two occupational phases.
The first is represented by an enclosure, about 70m north-south by 60m east-west, formed by the fragmentary remains of an earthen rampart (mainly visible in the south east about 6m wide 0.5m high), with an outer ditch (8m maximum width and 0.7m deep) and a causewayed entrance, about 8m wide in the east, curving around about 20m outside this enclosure. In the south west are the remains of another similarly constructed rampart which may be contemporary.
The next phase consists of two near circular stone-walled, enclosures, the first, inner one, (which lies inside the above mentioned earlier phase) is 54m in diameter formed by a stony wall (2.5m wide 0.6m high). There may have been an entrance in the north east arc but it is now too robbed and mutilated to confirm. Two other probably original entrances are visible; one in the south west and the other in the north west. Set against the inside of this inner enclosure wall in the south east are traces of two possible hut circles visible as ill defined peat covered platforms about 7m diameter, revetted around the periphery by boulders. Also internally abutting the north side is another possible stone founded hut about 5m diameter.
The second or outer enclosure about 105m in diameter (falls outside the above mentioned earliest phase) and consists of a stony wall spread to about 6m and 1.5m maximum height. It has three entrances in the north east, south east and south west. The north east one may have had a hut site in the enlarged terminal on its south side.
Some 30m south of this outer enclosure is a third almost certainly contemporary stone wall (utilised as the northern boundary of a later now mainly destroyed field system) built to protect this less well defended southern flank. There is an entrance near its east end where it terminates at the foot of a slope. At its west end the wall has continued northward where about 28m of robbed walling are still traceable across the rocky outcrop. Again a wall in the south connects this outer wall to the second enclosure wall just east of its southern entrance.
The initial phase here would appear to be an early Iron Age ditch and rampart earthwork and the stone walled enclosures secondary Iron Age/Romano-British settlement. It does not warrant classification as a fort as the situation is not defensive enough being overlooked by higher ground to the south east.
Surveyed at 1:10,000. (5)
Additional Reference (6)
Centred NU 12650969. This enclosure is situated on a saddle between two tors. The tor to the west has been utilised as part of the outer rampart but the tor to the east overlooks the enclosure. The ground on the remaining three sides slopes away but the defensive situation is not good.
The ramparts consist of large stones built up into rough walls and forming two irregularly shaped and non-concentric enclosures. The outer wall is the stronger having an average width of 6m and varying in height from 0.6m to 1.5m, while the inner rampart has an average width of 4m and a height of 0.6m.
There are the remains of a ditch outside both the inner and outer walls. The outer ditch has an average width of 8m and a depth of 1m while the corresponding measurements for the inner ditch are 9m and 0.7m.
The outer rampart has three entrances. That to the north is of simple type but that to the south east has one wall inturned and is marked on the north by an upright stone. The south west entrance has one wall turned outwards to form a wall across the end of the adjoining ditch. The inner rampart has a single simple entrance.
There is no evidence of habitation within the enclosed area which is badly overgrown with grass. There is a stream just to the north giving a convenient water supply.
To the south of the enclosure there are vague traces of other walls together with natural rock outcrop and old field banks. Their fragmentary nature did not permit surveying or conclusions regarding their purpose, but they may represent the remains of the annexes or associated enclosures referred to in T1.
No conclusions were drawn regarding the purpose of this enclosure which although in a poor defensive situation has artificial defences which in places are stronger than need be for pastoral purposes. Probably native in origin. (2)
NU 128102. Corby's Crags listed under pre-Roman Iron Age multivallate forts, settlements and enclosures. (3)
Surveyed at 1:2500. (4)
Situated at NU 12650969 on a rocky hill spur there is a settlement consisting of two occupational phases.
The first is represented by an enclosure, about 70m north-south by 60m east-west, formed by the fragmentary remains of an earthen rampart (mainly visible in the south east about 6m wide 0.5m high), with an outer ditch (8m maximum width and 0.7m deep) and a causewayed entrance, about 8m wide in the east, curving around about 20m outside this enclosure. In the south west are the remains of another similarly constructed rampart which may be contemporary.
The next phase consists of two near circular stone-walled, enclosures, the first, inner one, (which lies inside the above mentioned earlier phase) is 54m in diameter formed by a stony wall (2.5m wide 0.6m high). There may have been an entrance in the north east arc but it is now too robbed and mutilated to confirm. Two other probably original entrances are visible; one in the south west and the other in the north west. Set against the inside of this inner enclosure wall in the south east are traces of two possible hut circles visible as ill defined peat covered platforms about 7m diameter, revetted around the periphery by boulders. Also internally abutting the north side is another possible stone founded hut about 5m diameter.
The second or outer enclosure about 105m in diameter (falls outside the above mentioned earliest phase) and consists of a stony wall spread to about 6m and 1.5m maximum height. It has three entrances in the north east, south east and south west. The north east one may have had a hut site in the enlarged terminal on its south side.
Some 30m south of this outer enclosure is a third almost certainly contemporary stone wall (utilised as the northern boundary of a later now mainly destroyed field system) built to protect this less well defended southern flank. There is an entrance near its east end where it terminates at the foot of a slope. At its west end the wall has continued northward where about 28m of robbed walling are still traceable across the rocky outcrop. Again a wall in the south connects this outer wall to the second enclosure wall just east of its southern entrance.
The initial phase here would appear to be an early Iron Age ditch and rampart earthwork and the stone walled enclosures secondary Iron Age/Romano-British settlement. It does not warrant classification as a fort as the situation is not defensive enough being overlooked by higher ground to the south east.
Surveyed at 1:10,000. (5)
Additional Reference (6)
N4220
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1972; D Smith
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1976; I S Sainsbury
FIELD SURVEY, Hill forts and settlements in Northumberland ; G Jobey
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1976; I S Sainsbury
FIELD SURVEY, Hill forts and settlements in Northumberland ; G Jobey
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