Romano-British farmstead on Wood Hill 800m north west of Old Town Cottages (Otterburn)
(NY 87729218 Geographical Co-ords) Wood Hill. Rectangular multiple ramparted earthwork (No trace of a earthwork shown on Greenwood's map). (1)
NY 87799213 Remains of a sub-rectangular earthwork situated, at approx 650ft above sea-level, upon the flat top of a hill of pastureland. It consists of a single well preserved ditch with inner and outer upcast banks and an original entrance in the east side. Another probably original entrance lies midway along the north side.
An old field bank crosses the site east-west, through the centre, passing through the east entrance. Within the enclosure, north of this bank, are two hut circles and traces of a third. They have diameters of 6m, 7m, and 8m respectively. The eastern one has an entrance in the south-east side, entrances to the others are not now discernible.
On the south side of the work is an annexe, now bounded on the west and south sides only, by a bank with an outer ditch. Within the annexe is a hut circle of 7m diameter, with an entrance in the south side.
The straight sides and rounded corners of the earthwork, a homestead for several families with their stock, suggest Roman influence in construction, and the site may date to the Romano-British period. (2)
'Wood Hill' - Listed under rectilinear settlements of the Roman period type A. (3)
The work fits broadly into the type A category of settlement, although the 'depressed yards', an important feature, are absent. Surveyed at 1:2500. (4)
Additional bibliography. (5)
A sub-rectangular farmstead containing three hut-circles and an attached rectangular annexe containing a single hut-circle. (6)
NY 87799213 Remains of a sub-rectangular earthwork situated, at approx 650ft above sea-level, upon the flat top of a hill of pastureland. It consists of a single well preserved ditch with inner and outer upcast banks and an original entrance in the east side. Another probably original entrance lies midway along the north side.
An old field bank crosses the site east-west, through the centre, passing through the east entrance. Within the enclosure, north of this bank, are two hut circles and traces of a third. They have diameters of 6m, 7m, and 8m respectively. The eastern one has an entrance in the south-east side, entrances to the others are not now discernible.
On the south side of the work is an annexe, now bounded on the west and south sides only, by a bank with an outer ditch. Within the annexe is a hut circle of 7m diameter, with an entrance in the south side.
The straight sides and rounded corners of the earthwork, a homestead for several families with their stock, suggest Roman influence in construction, and the site may date to the Romano-British period. (2)
'Wood Hill' - Listed under rectilinear settlements of the Roman period type A. (3)
The work fits broadly into the type A category of settlement, although the 'depressed yards', an important feature, are absent. Surveyed at 1:2500. (4)
Additional bibliography. (5)
A sub-rectangular farmstead containing three hut-circles and an attached rectangular annexe containing a single hut-circle. (6)
N8294
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1957; A S Phillips
FIELD SURVEY, Rectilinear earthworks in Northumberland: some Medieval and Later settlements 1960
FIELD SURVEY, Rectilinear earthworks in Northumberland: some Medieval and Later settlements 1960
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