Aerial view of Monday Cleugh Iron Age hillfort. Photo © Tim Gates.

(NT 95612849). Camp. (1)

A fortification, more of the nature of a promontory fort than any other in the district, is built at the head of a deep crag sided hollow named Monday Cleugh. The camp is approached from the north-west by a wide road and is bordered by earthworks. On the east it is defended by a deep gorge and a single rampart runs along the top. The camp is almost square with rounded corners and is defended by huge ramparts, two on the west and three on the north. The entrance to the camp crosses the walls obliquely; on the north side (exterior) there have been fortifications enclosing hut circles and cattle folds. (2)

The entrance to the camp is on the west side near the centre of the curve of the rampart, and traces of a road from it may be clearly discerned to the westward, as well as faint ones of a way towards Akeld. At the south angle there is a narrow entrance, which is traversed in front by the outer line of rampart. The area of the camp is about 1 acre. (3)

Harehope Hill (Monday Cleugh). An earthwork with multiple ramparts with a cliff forming part of the defence. Enclosed area approximately 3/4 acre. (4)

Situated on the edge of a cliff the earthwork is overlooked by Harehope Hill to the north-east.
The artificial defences consists of 3 banks of earth and stone on the north and west sides, and 2 scarped banks to the south. The inner of the three banks is the strongest having a maximum height of 1.5m. The middle and outer banks have maximum heights of 1.2m and 1m
respectively.
The main entrance to the north-west runs obliquely through the ramparts and has traces of transverse banks to seal the area between the ramparts. A smaller entrance to the south-east gives access to a small valley which leads to the nearest water supply - a spring and small stream to the east. In the north-east corner of the fort a gap in the inner rampart gives access to the area between middle and inner ramparts.
There are three hut circles visible in the central area and traces of rectangular buildings against the inner bank on the west side.
An annexe is situated just north of the main entrance. Constructed of rough stone walling it is associated with rectangular structures, probably the remains of old sheep folds, situated between the ramparts. It is certainly later than the ramparts which it crosses, and is probably fairly modern.
The only traces of the roads referred to as leading from the camp is the space between two field banks associated with fairly recent enclosure of the moor.
This is not a true promontory fort as inferred by Piddocke as only one side has a strong natural defence. A more correct description would be a cliff fort, similar in situation and construction to others in Northumberland which have been ascribed to the Iron Age period.
No trace was seen of any outer habitation but the bracken covering the area may conceal any slight indications. See stereo pair photographs of ramparts. (5)

Listed under pre-Roman Iron Age multivallate, (forts, settlements and enclosures) possibly with an overlying settlement of round stone huts. (6)

A well preserved fort correctly published on 6 inch. One of the internal 'overlying hut sites' appears, superficially, to be a good stone founded example. Another could well be a recent fold, but all are suspect in view of the intrusion of sheep shelters into the perimeter of the fort. (7)

This cliff or 'scarp edge' multivallate fort is essentially as described by authority 5, but the pure defensive form of the work makes nonsense of the alleged original entrance at the north-west
corner. This 'straight cut' approach is totally out of character with the overall plan, and the carefully contrived staggered and original entrance at the south-east corner. Although confused and somewhat exaggerated by sheepfold walling and banking the 'north-west entrance' is not modern and may well be contemporary with the three internal stone-walled hut circles of Romano-British date. Within the level and rough grassed interior no evidence of timber houses that could be assigned to the main phase of the fort, was found.
The arrangement of the rampart terminals at the north-east corner suggests that there was an original 'slip' entrance at this cliff edge point. Surveyed at 1:10,000. (8)

Scheduled. (9)

[NT 9561 2849] Fort & Settlement [NR] (10a)

NT 956 285. Monday Cleugh. Listed in a gazetteer of British hillforts as a multivallate structure enclosing 0.20ha. (10b)

NT 956 285. Harehope (Monday Cleugh) camp. Scheduled No ND/89. (10c)