View of Mount Pleasant, Alnmouth. Photo by Northumberland County Council.

(NU 24711100) Camp (Site of). (1)

There is a camp about 200 yards from the north end of Alnmouth on the east side of the road. It is as shown by Mr MacLauchlan's plan, an irregular quadrangle, about 90 yards in length from north-south by 70 yards from east-west.
(Due to lack of detail it is not possible to determine whether the camp is bounded by a bank or a ditch or both). Known as Night Folds, Beacon or Watch Hill; traces of rampart visible on west with present road on that side probably on the ditch, and remains of the ditch on north. (2)

Entrance at north west covered by a traverse of the rampart. (3)

Alnmouth camp - ? traces of circular camp near. (4)

This earthwork, which has been shown on OS 6 inch as Camp (Site of), consists of an irregular enclosure bounded by an earthen bank on all sides except on the west where the modern road probably lies upon its course. The bank measures the following average distances:
Average width Average height
South side 9.0m 2.0m
East side 5.2m 2.2m
North side 4.0m 1.7m
There is no trace of a ditch or entrance at the north and north west sides respectively, as previously stated.
The enclosure has not been built to serve as a defensive camp as it is overlooked by Beacon Hill immediately on its east side; there are no indications of any central buildings or dwellings and in view of there being no reported finds, it is not possible to determine the use to which the enclosure has been put.
The interior has been utilised for the construction of the eleventh green, with associated bunkers and tee of Alnmouth Golf Course - it is now disused. (5)

'Slopes transferred to astrofoil as surveyed by your Field Surveyor'. (6)

(NU 24711096) Subsequently published Earthwork. (7)

The appearance of the work, and its position at the entrance to the village of Alnmouth suggests that it is a medieval or later stock enclosure. A function reflected by one of the traditional names viz 'Night Folds'. Published survey (25 inch) revised. (8)

The area is shown enclosed by two dykes on James Robertson's map of the Gallon Estate dated 1744. The road northwards from Alnmouth has encroached on the western bank of this enclosure. This encroachment may have occurred when the road was turnpiked in 1754. The area of the settlement became a golf course and bunkers have been established within its boundary. Nevertheless hut circles are visible and the University of Bradford carried out a resistivity survey of the area in 1993 confirming the presence of hut circles. A field walking survey by Bettess of the area recovered a number of worked flints (1993). Bettess also presents a verbal report from amateur archaeologists who excavated in the area in the 1960s and produced no relevant evidence. (9)

The NERCZA undertook a rapid assessment of the enclosure. It noted that the enclosure has been disturbed by later activity, including the construction of at least one bunker and a green for the nearby golf couse. The shape and location do not seem to relate to an Iron Age settlement. The survey interpreted the earthworks as comprising three separate elements: a track, post-medieval quarry and golf course green and bunker. The quarry track forms the southern bank of the 'Iron Age enclosure' but does not appear to cut or ride over the eastern edge of the enclosure, which appears to end naturally; the southern edge of the enclosure is therefore incorrectly defined.
The position of the enclosure is also questioned, as the hilltop would make a more suitable (and traditional) location, rather than the base of the slope where it is sited. It is suggested that this enclosure is more likely to be a medieval or earlier boundary that continued to the north-west following the same contour, but has now been lost to the north of the road due to later ploughing. This boundary could demarcate different land holdings or perhaps medieval parkland. The internal features of the enclosure represent a golf course green and bunker of much later date. (10)

NU 248 110. Camp E of Mount Pleasant. Scheduled No ND/31. (11a)

An enclosure of uncertain date is visible as an earthwork on air photographs, at NU 2472 1097. The feature is as described by the above authorities, though its date and function remain unclear. Geophysical evidence described in the Northumberland SMR (5700) may suggest evidence for internal domestic ring ditches. The feature is still extant on the latest 1999 Ordnance Survey vertical photography. (11b-c)