[NY 63746122] Camp. (1)

NY 637613 The Curricks. A double banked enclosure with medial ditch. The interior has at least two yards or pens, and faint traces of rectangular buildings. On the east, the ditch has been mutilated by a later boundary ditch and upcast dyke which runs towards the site on the north east and picks up again at the south east corner. Large kerbstones are visible at the out-turn by the entrance. The site probably represents the remains of a medieval or later farm. (2)

Scheduled. under Camps & Settlements (3)

Generally as described, but in poor condition. Revised at 6 inch scale. Enlargement on illustration card. (4)

NY 63746121 'The Curricks' is situated about 240m OD on gently sloping south-facing rough pastureland. (See 1:1250 Plan).
It has been !scooped! out of a slight north-south slope and consists of a near rectangular double banked enclosure with medial ditch measuring about 73m north-south by 60m east-west between the ditch centres. Where best preserved (in the north) the turf-covered stony banks are about 4m wide and 1m high with the ditch 2m wide and 0.5m deep. It seems very doubtful if the ditch continued on the east side; it could have been completely filled in but it seems more likely that this side was formed by a wall or rampart (probably about 4m wide) now severely robbed and mutilated and visible as a turf-covered slope on the inside and several large intermittent earthfast stones on the outer face. Central to this east side the remains of the only apparent entrance are still clearly visible, defined on its south side by several earthfast stones. Inside the enclosure the remains of two definite platforms 'A' and 'B' are visible in the east and west corners respectively, both set up against the inner bank at the highest part of the interior. A turf-covered rubble wall (about 2.5m wide, 0.3m high) bisects the interior between these platforms continuing southwards to join a roughly rectangular similarly walled enclosure 'C' to the immediate south of the entrance.
To the west of this enclosure are the remains of a rather ill-defined platform 'D'. In the south west corner is a shallow near circular damp hollow 'E' about 8m in diameter 0.4m maximum depth.
Outside the enclosure (on the east side north of the entrance) a sub-divided rectangular building 'F' probably a shieling now visible as turf-covered stony foundations measuring 10.5m north-south by 5m transversely, is set into the bank. At this point the enclosure is joined by a double-ditch and bank running off in a northerly direction for about 50m and which then turns to the west and continues as a single bank and outer ditch for about 110m fading out on the steep slopes of a natural gulley.
From the south west corner of the enclosure another bank and outer ditch continues southwards for about 133m then this too turns towards the west for about 88m mainly visible as a shallow ditch before it peters out in the same natural gulley. It has been destroyed here by deep ploughing for a plantation but it too probably continued northwards to join up with the ditch and bank in the north forming an outer enclosure to the main one.
There is no trace of any associated cultivation in the area but see NY 66 SW 13.
Although adapted and utilised as a probable Medieval farmstead the main enclosure is unquestionably an Iron Age/Romano British settlement. Surveyed at 1:10,000 with enlargement at 1:1250. (5)

The Curricks NY 637613. Listed under 'Moated Sites in Northumberland'. (6)

Aerial photograph and transcription of The Curricks camp, with many other sites (Northumberland and Cumbria counties) provided by Mike Collins, English Heritage, from National Mapping Programme and National Monuments Record resources. (7)

Scheduled. (8)

The earthwork remains of the Curricks IA/Roman enclosed farmstead were seen centred at NY 6374 6122 and mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hadrian's Wall NMP project. Aerial photographs taken in 1946 show a number of large ditch defined enclosures extending to the West, south and north of the main settlement enclosure. These extend into the area now covered by forestry. These enclosures appear to form a group of at least 3 conjoined fields. The combined settlement and its larger enclosures covers and area of c. 375m x 585m.

This site is remarkably similar in form and size to a possible IA/Roman farmstead identified through aerial photographs some 2800m to the NW (NY66SW 71) on the northern side of Denton Fell.
To the south of the main enclosures described above is a scooped hollow at NY 6346 6082 which has been described as an enclosure of uncertain date (SMR 10053, NMR NY66SW 12). (9a)

General association with NRHE UID 1453819 (linear earthwork in Cumbria) (9)