(NT 98831585) Camp. (1)

A village settlement, of, I think, two ages, the one primitive and amorphous, the other rather rectangular. The former tends rather to the north of the site. There are many more stone dykes than are shown (on OS 6 inch) enclosing small garths etc, the latest buildings are possible medieval or even later. (2)

Lower East Hartside. Village site approximately 2 acres in area. (3)

Type HI (2) Ancient village sites protected by walls, ramparts, or ditches. (4)

Remains of an extensive settlement are situated upon the upper east and south-east slopes of Hartside Hill, at approx 870 feet above sea-level. The site is covered with pasture and bracken and there are numerous outcrops of living rock, which have been incorporated into banks. The homestead overlooks the deep valley of the River Breamish to the south and east, and more gentle slopes of open moorland, covered with rig and furrow ploughing, to the north-east.
The site contains twelve recognisable enclosures, adjacent to one another. Along the north-east perimeter are several fragments of bank which may indicate the sites of additional enclosures, now destroyed by the ploughing. The site links up at many points along the north and east sides with a system of old field banks which may, in some instances, be contemporary with the site.
The banks bounding the enclosures, are principally of earth and stone, though some stretches are solely of large boulders and stones. Many of the entrances are revetted with large stones on both sides.
The northern half of the site is of a very irregular pattern, but the two large enclosures at the south-east end are respectively rectangular and roughly circular, and the banks bounding them are more massive and in better condition, suggesting them to be a different period of construction. Outside the site at the south end, is a steading, lying nearly east to west, subdivided into two compartments, with an entrance in the east end. There are no architectural features by which it may be dated, but it is probably of late period of construction. South of the steading, is a scooped area, bounded by a fragmentary wall of massive boulders and rocks, with little evidence of an earthern bank. It is connected on the north side by a
fragmentary bank to the steading. Within the large rectangular is erected a modern sheepfold.
The homestead contains twelve hut circles, with diameters ranging from 5m to 8m. All but one are incorporated into banks, many being of the 'blister' type, others adjoining a bank at one point of their circumference only.
There are two rectangular enclosures one 12m by 5m lies in the north-west corner of the large rectangular enclosure; the other, 8m square, lies outside the site, adjoining the north-east side of the large nearly circular enclosure. Neither show an entrance, the latter one is bounded by a bank of loose stone, and is probably of a late period of construction.
The site may be classified as a homestead settlement, for several families with their stock. The nearest present fresh water supply is a moorland stream to the south-east. (5)

Listed under Romano-British enclosed stone built settlements. (6)

A large complex of round stone-founded huts and enclosures representing an extension of the native enclosed settlement to the immediate west (NT 91 NE 28). Some of the enclosures may be later garths contemporary with a number of intrusive rectangular building foundations, and the area of rig and furrow, and extensive field system that develops to the north and west. Resurveyed at 1:2500. (7)

No change from report of 7/10/69. Surveyed at 1:10,000. (8)

Settlement and field system visible on thermal imagery. (9)

SE part of the site now recorded separately.

This substantial late prehistoric or Romano-British enclosed settlement is of irregular plan and is situated just below the E summit of Hartside Hill at 270m OD. Six hut circles and internal walls divide the enclosure into a series of courtyards.The rubble and boulder enclosure walls are 2.0-4.2m wide and up to 0.75m high. There are three entrances, two in the SE, 2.4-2.7m wide, and one in the SW, 2.3m wide. The courtyards range in size from 10.4 by 9.0m to 44.0 by 30.0m.The six huts are confined to the S half of the site. They are constructed of rubble walls, some retaining an inner face of boulders, and all are built on levelled platforms or depressions cut into the slope. They range in size from 3.0-5.9m in diameter and the best preserved have walls surviving to 0.65m high. Two of them have well preserved entrances 1.6-2.0m wide.A wall [NT 9815/60] abuts the S wall of the settlement and runs S,
overlying the later annexe of settlement [NT 9815/12]. The fact that this wall overlies part of [12] suggests that this settlement [NT 9815/11] may have been inhabited for longer. A further point of chronological interest is that wall NT 9815/73 has joined the E wall of this settlement and is clearly a later feature, suggesting that the adjacent fields developed after the enclosed settlements on the E summit of the hill were established. Further details are contained in the project archive. (10a)