Great Hetha. Photo by Harry Rowland.


Rampart at Great Hetha. Photo by Harry Rowland.

(NT 88552740) Camp (OE). (1)

Great Hetha Camp: A very strongly situated double-ramparted camp. It is nearly an oval in form, with its inner diameters about 110 yards east and west, and 80 yards north and south. It has two entrances, carefully constructed: that on the west curves inwards at a natural hollow in the rock, and at the north edge of the entrance is the foundation of a small circular dwelling, perhaps a guardhouse; the opening in the second rampart is to the south-west of the inner one, so as to be covered by the inner rampart.
The entrance on the north-east side is placed where the ground is nearly level for a short distance and here the outer rampart has been projected about 100 feet beyond the inner. Elsewhere it is generally about 50 feet beyond the inner. This gateway also is staggered, that on the outer rampart being to the north-east of that in the inner. Between the two ramparts there is the foundation of an oval dwelling of about 12 feet long, inclosing at its east end a small circular one of about 7 feet wide.
On the west side of the north entrance there is a circular part on the inner rampart which has much the appearance of having been a beacon. No distinct traces of circular dwellings were discernible beyond those at the entrances. (2)

Situated defensively on the summit of a hill with steep slopes on all sides except the south-west where a ridge joins the hill.
The earthwork consists of two ramparts of earth and stone partly formed by scarping the natural slope. The inner rampart 7m to 10m wide with a maximum internal height of 0.4m and external height of 3m had apparently at one time been surmounted by a wall, now represented by a thick spread of stones. The outer rampart 3m to 8m wide, maximum height internally 0.5m and externally 2.5m is concentric except on the north-east side where it leaves the inner rampart to enclose a small level area.
There is a staggered entrance on the north-west side with traces of an inturned bank where it passes through the inner rampart but no trace of the circular guard house referred to. There is a gap in the outer rampart to the north-east, probably an original entrance, with traces of revetting. No definite traces of a counterpart to this entrance in the inner ramparts or of the beacon.
The only definite trace of habitation is in the area between ramparts to the north-east. Here there is a small oval enclosure measuring 9.5m by 6m contained by a very slight bank of earth and stones. At the east end is a hut circle 3m diameter.
The nearest water supply is a small stream to the south-south-west. The situation and construction is similar to Iron Age hill forts. (3)

Enclosure. (LB) (4)

Listed as pre-Roman Iron Age multivallate stone-built fort. (5)

In good condition; published survey (25 inch) revised. The stone-founded enclosure between the ramparts is clearly later. (6)

Great Hetha defended settlement. Scheduling affirmed on 9th May 1996, new national monument number 24605. (7)

A bivallate hillfort defended by double stone walls. On plan it is oval shaped with overall dimensions of 140m by 100m. There is a slightly staggered entrance through both walls on the north east side. Three slight scoops are visible in the interior and may mark the positions of timber round houses. A small sub-rectangular lambing pen or shelter, measuring 5m by 12m, has been constructed between the fort walls close to the entrance. It is visible on a series of aerial photographs. (8)

Survey by English Heritage (1998-2004) has reinterpreted the hillfort as a multi-phase monument, with stone-built ramparts in its latest two phases. The latest phase is the smallest and closest to a circle in plan. (9)

Field survey in 2000 by English Heritage discovered that the hillfort has three identifiable phases of development. The earliest phase, part of the perimeter of which is visible immediately to the north-east and south-west of the fort, underlies the fort's outer rampart and is probably Iron Age. The second phase almost entirely occupies the site of the earlier phase and appears to consist of just the outer rampart with entrances on the north-east and north-west sides. In the third phase, the hillfort was subsequently strengthened by the construction of the more massive inner rampart, although at the same time the defended area was reduced on the north-east by the alignment of the new rampart up to 30m inside the existing defences. Nine circular hut platforms were identified within the inner rampart but none were found in the gap between the two ramparts on the north-east side, although this is the largest area of level ground in the hillfort. Evidence of Iron Age surface quarries and worked outcrops were recorded as well as a small shelter and enclosure of later date which probably indicates later reuse of the then abandoned hillfort. (10)

NT 886 274. Great Hetha. Listed in gazetteer of British hillforts as a multivallate structure covering 0.48ha. (11a)

NT 885 274. Great Hetha camp, Hethpool. Scheduled No ND/88. (11b)

NT 8856 2740. In August 2000, English Heritage carried out a detailed field investigation of the Iron Age hillfort on Great Hetha (NT 82 NE 47), together with an area of 0.5km2 around it, following a request from the Northumberland National Park (Event record 1300646).

The earthworks are essentialy as described by previous investigators, but the interpretation of the hillfort as a single-phase monument is probably incorrect, nor is there any firm evidence for continuity into the Roman period. Great Hetha Camp is a hillfort surviving in good condition in earthwork form, comprising three circuits of rampart, apparently constructed in three phases, all of which are presumed to lie within the Iron Age. The Phase 1 rampart, a low earthen bank which follows the contours and encloses c.1.1ha, is mostly overlain by the Phase 2 rampart, but protrudes on the NE and SW of the hillfort. There may have been an entrance on the NW, although this is not certain. The Phase 2 rampart is a stony bank enclosing 0.8ha. Intermittent short stretches of facing stones in situ indicate that the rampart was originally a wall; there were two entrances: overlooking the ridge on the NE which forms the most gentle approach, and on the NW (apparently discounted by Jobey because it was blocked on the medieval period or later). The Phase 3 rampart comprises a massive bank of tumbled stone with long stretches of external facing stones still in situ, enclosing an area of 0.4ha. There was a single entrance on the NW, slightly off-set from that in the Phase 2 rampart, and the line of the rampart on the NE deviates from the contours leaving an space up to 30m wide between the two. There is no evidence that the Phase 2 rampart was slighted and it may have continued in use, effectively forming a bivallate hillfort. Jobey suggested that the space between the ramparts on the NE may have acted as a corral, but there are no obvious means of access to it. Nine potentially contemporary circular hut platforms can be identified in the interior.

Stretches of later bank along the line of the rampart, the blocking of the NW entrance and hints of internal divisions, along with a small enclosure and hut circle, suggest that the hillfort was re-used as a livestock enclosure in the medieval period or later (see NT 82 NE 109).

For further information, see the Level 3 report on the field investigation, which includes a full textual description and interpretation of the remains, copies of plans surveyed at various scales, selected photographs and interpretative drawings. The remainder of the archive material is also available through the NMR. (11c)

General association with HER 30150 and HER 29409. (11)