High Knowes palisaded settlement (Alnham)
(Area NT 972124) A palisaded settlement (High Knowes 'B') lies 120yds east of the homestead (NT 91 SE 11).
It appears to be pear-shaped, and the perimeter is marked by a broad band of verdant herbage with occasional indications of palisade trenches. The southern stretches are indistinct owing to later interference. Although the internal area is only 0.58 acres, it contains the probable sites of sixteen houses marked by 'ring-grooves' or slightly hollowed floors. Remains of robbed out stonework overlie the assumed line of the entrance in the east. This was excavated in 1962-63 by Newcastle University revealing the palisade trenches 5ft apart at this point partially overlain by the well-robbed remains of a stone-founded hut and two courtyard walls, the whole typical of the Romano-British enclosed stone built settlements found to overlie many of the earlier Iron Age works in the area. Finds were limited to numerous sherds of coarse pottery probably representing no more than three vessels, all most likely to be associated with the secondary settlement. (1)
Surveyed (1/2500) at NT 97251250. Only seven of the alleged huts could be identified with certainty at the time of investigation, owing to the coarse tussocky grass covering. (2)
No change since report of 31-7-69. Surveyed at 1:10000. (3)
Palisade enclosure site reused in Romano-British period. The walls of the stone Romano-British enclosure sealed a turf layer overlying palisade trenches suggesting abandonment of the palisade enclosure. (4)
High Knowes palisade settlement. NT 971125. Enclosed by twin palisade trenches, enclosing two large house sites, and two small huts. (5)
High Knowes photographed from the air in 1978. (6)
High Knowes B palisaded settlement and later enclosed settlement. Scheduling amended. (7)
Air photographs. (8a-c)
NT 972125 & NT 971125 High Knowes palisaded settlements scheduled. (8d)
(NT 971125) Settlement [NR] (8e)
High Knowes B is situated on the SW shoulder of High Knowes commanding panoramic views to the E, and well placed to overlook the radially planned and enclosed field system [NT 9712/3-12].
This settlement is sub-oval in plan and enclosed by a double palisade which now appears as a broad raised band of verdant vegetation up to 8m wide and 0.5m high, representing displaced upcast from the palisade trenches. The palisade circuit is complete apart from an area of disturbance in the SW which may be the site of the entrance. Internally the settlement contains the remains of thirteen complete or mostly complete house stances, two of which are for ring-ditch houses [NT 9712/2/4 and 5], and the remainder are of the ring-groove type. Six other fragmentary lengths of ring-groove trenches are scattered about the settlement suggesting the presence of further buildings. The ring-groove houses range from 5.0-8.2m in diameter internally and the ring-grooves themselves vary from 1.0-1.3m wide and 0.2-0.4m deep. Additionally one house [NT 9712/2/3] has a central circular depression slightly over 2m wide and 0.2m deep, and is similar to examples in the hillfort on Wether Hill (NU 01 SW 2).
The ring-ditch houses have an internal diameter of 7.2-7.5m, the ditches being up to 1.5m wide and 0.4m deep; traces of a ring-groove 0.7m wide and 0.1m deep were recorded on the outer lip of the ring-ditch of house NT 9712/2/5. Excavations in area NT 9712/2/14 revealed a small stone-built house overlying the double palisade, with a wall running W which had resulted in the mutilation of a ring-groove house [5] (Authority 1, 17-18). (8f)
General association with HER 1340, HER 1370, HER 30166, HER 1370. (8)
It appears to be pear-shaped, and the perimeter is marked by a broad band of verdant herbage with occasional indications of palisade trenches. The southern stretches are indistinct owing to later interference. Although the internal area is only 0.58 acres, it contains the probable sites of sixteen houses marked by 'ring-grooves' or slightly hollowed floors. Remains of robbed out stonework overlie the assumed line of the entrance in the east. This was excavated in 1962-63 by Newcastle University revealing the palisade trenches 5ft apart at this point partially overlain by the well-robbed remains of a stone-founded hut and two courtyard walls, the whole typical of the Romano-British enclosed stone built settlements found to overlie many of the earlier Iron Age works in the area. Finds were limited to numerous sherds of coarse pottery probably representing no more than three vessels, all most likely to be associated with the secondary settlement. (1)
Surveyed (1/2500) at NT 97251250. Only seven of the alleged huts could be identified with certainty at the time of investigation, owing to the coarse tussocky grass covering. (2)
No change since report of 31-7-69. Surveyed at 1:10000. (3)
Palisade enclosure site reused in Romano-British period. The walls of the stone Romano-British enclosure sealed a turf layer overlying palisade trenches suggesting abandonment of the palisade enclosure. (4)
High Knowes palisade settlement. NT 971125. Enclosed by twin palisade trenches, enclosing two large house sites, and two small huts. (5)
High Knowes photographed from the air in 1978. (6)
High Knowes B palisaded settlement and later enclosed settlement. Scheduling amended. (7)
Air photographs. (8a-c)
NT 972125 & NT 971125 High Knowes palisaded settlements scheduled. (8d)
(NT 971125) Settlement [NR] (8e)
High Knowes B is situated on the SW shoulder of High Knowes commanding panoramic views to the E, and well placed to overlook the radially planned and enclosed field system [NT 9712/3-12].
This settlement is sub-oval in plan and enclosed by a double palisade which now appears as a broad raised band of verdant vegetation up to 8m wide and 0.5m high, representing displaced upcast from the palisade trenches. The palisade circuit is complete apart from an area of disturbance in the SW which may be the site of the entrance. Internally the settlement contains the remains of thirteen complete or mostly complete house stances, two of which are for ring-ditch houses [NT 9712/2/4 and 5], and the remainder are of the ring-groove type. Six other fragmentary lengths of ring-groove trenches are scattered about the settlement suggesting the presence of further buildings. The ring-groove houses range from 5.0-8.2m in diameter internally and the ring-grooves themselves vary from 1.0-1.3m wide and 0.2-0.4m deep. Additionally one house [NT 9712/2/3] has a central circular depression slightly over 2m wide and 0.2m deep, and is similar to examples in the hillfort on Wether Hill (NU 01 SW 2).
The ring-ditch houses have an internal diameter of 7.2-7.5m, the ditches being up to 1.5m wide and 0.4m deep; traces of a ring-groove 0.7m wide and 0.1m deep were recorded on the outer lip of the ring-ditch of house NT 9712/2/5. Excavations in area NT 9712/2/14 revealed a small stone-built house overlying the double palisade, with a wall running W which had resulted in the mutilation of a ring-groove house [5] (Authority 1, 17-18). (8f)
General association with HER 1340, HER 1370, HER 30166, HER 1370. (8)
N1347
EXCAVATION, Excavations on Palisaded Settlements and Cairnfields at Alnham, Northumberland 1963
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1969; D Smith
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1976; B H Pritchard
HISTORIC AREA ASSESSMENT, Alnham Village Atlas ; The Archaeological Practice Ltd
MEASURED SURVEY, RCHME: SE Cheviots Project ; RCHME
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1969; D Smith
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1976; B H Pritchard
HISTORIC AREA ASSESSMENT, Alnham Village Atlas ; The Archaeological Practice Ltd
MEASURED SURVEY, RCHME: SE Cheviots Project ; RCHME
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