Record Details

NHER Number:1910
Type of record:Monument
Name:Bloodgate Hill Iron Age Hillfort

Summary

This is the site of a destroyed Iron Age hillfort and is one of only six prehistoric earthwork forts in Norfolk. Aerial photographs and geophysical investigations have established the layout of the fort, which comprises of a single banked and ditched enclosure with a large central ring ditch. Excavations in 2003 revealed that the hillfort ditch had been re-cut some time after its initial construction. Environmental evidence produced by this work was slight but probably indicated an open environment locally. Over the years a number of artefacts have been recovered from across the area of the hillfort including Iron Age pottery, prehistoric flints, a human skull and seven Roman coins. The site is now owned by the Norfolk Archaeological Trust and is open to the public as an archaeological attraction.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 84 35
Map Sheet:TF83NW
Parish:SOUTH CREAKE, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Site of destroyed hill fort. Ring ditch within.

1973. Geophysical survey.
Two Iron Age sherds found.
See details, schedule and notes in file.
E. Rose (NAU) 12 November 1990.

19 July 1996. NLA aerial photography.
Bank and ditch of hillfort visible in crop, as is ring ditch.
S. Horlock (NLA) 1 May 2001.

April 2001. Fieldwalking. Survey of enclosure and areas to west and east (site extended).
Prehistoric flints.
Iron Age, Roman, medieval and post medieval sherds.
See notes and sketch plan in file.
See also (S4).
A. Rogerson (NLA) 10 June 2001.

September 2003. Geophysical Survey and Excavation.
Prior to the excavation air photography and geophysical survey were employed. The air photographs indicated the presence of a large ring-ditch within the hillfort enclosure. The geophysical survey revealed further details of the hillfort including its probable entrances, the ring-ditch (with possible entrance and internal features) and adjoining ditches. Excavation showed that the hillfort ditch had been recut some time after its initial construction. The bank (slighted in 1827) appeared to survive as a low bank of soil. The central ring-ditch was of a distinctive V-shape, about 3m deep, with evidence for an internal bank. Iron Age pottery through its fills suggested a date for construction, although its function remains unclear. A chalky spread behind the line of the former bank was also recorded (representing the slighting of the bank in 1827) which sealed earlier soils. A small pit beneath these soils produced Iron Age pottery and flints. Environmental evidence was slight but probably indicated an open environment locally.
See published article (S5) and reports (S6) and (S7) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S8).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2005.84).
A. Cattermole (NLA) 3 September 2004. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 5 May 2019.

Winter 2003-2004. Metal detecting for Norfolk Archaeological Trust within and to east and west of enclosure.
Seven Roman, one medieval and three post medieval coins.

Before 26 May 2004. Chance find.
One sherd glazed Grimston ware.
See description in file.
E. Darch (NLA) 8 June 2006.

2006.
Published report on excavation (S5)
S. Tremlett (NLA), 20 March 2009.

8 June 2013
The site is generally in very good condition, with good grass cover and little or no thistles or nettles. There is some poaching on the eastern side of the main enclosure bank which may require reseeding. Rabbits are clearly present on the site but the damage is minimal.
K.Powell (HES), 23 December 2013.

Monument Types

  • RING DITCH (Bronze Age - 2350 BC to 701 BC)
  • HILLFORT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)

Associated Finds

  • KNIFE (Unknown date)
  • METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Unknown date)
  • WEIGHT (Unknown date)
  • FLAKE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • KNIFE (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • SCRAPER (TOOL) (Lower Palaeolithic to Late Iron Age - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
  • POT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
  • BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COSMETIC PESTLE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • BUCKET (Early Saxon - 411 AD to 650 AD)
  • STRAP END (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
  • BELL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • KNIFE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT MEND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • SPINDLE WHORL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STRAP END (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • VESSEL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WEIGHT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BELL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • BELL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • BOOK FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • COIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • COIN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • TOKEN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • VESSEL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

  • Scheduled Monument

Sources and further reading

---Photograph: HU21-6,CXY5-6.
---Aerial Photograph: TF8435 A-,AV-AW.
---Designation: [unknown]. Ancient Monuments Form. SAM Record. DNF294.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1996. TF8435/AZ - ABE.
---Illustration: Finds Illustrations.
---Photograph: NLA. Finds Photograph.
---Photograph: I & RS. Digital finds image.
---Article in Serial: Rogerson, A. and Ashley, S. 1997. Bloodgate Hill, South Creake: A Recently Discovered Early Seventeenth-Century Map. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLII Pt IV pp 535-537.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 83 NW 7.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2005. [Articles on the opening of Bloodgate Hill Iron Age Hillfort to the public].
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2003. Protecting Iron Age fort. 5 September.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2003. Bits of human skull in Iron Age ditch. 13 November.
---Article in Monograph: Rickett, R. 1992. The Other Forts of Norfolk. The Iron Age Forts of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. Davies, J. et al. No 54 pp 59-68. pp 62-63.
---Photograph: 2004. KVC 1, Easly Saxon vessel mount..
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Iron Age. Creake (South) [2].
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---*Rolled Plan: Large Plan Exists.
---Slide: Various. Slide.
---Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
---Designation: English Heritage. 1990-2013. English Heritage Scheduling Notification. Notification. DNF294.
---Designation: English Heritage. 1994? -2011?. English Heritage Digital Designation Record. Record. DNF294.
<S1>Article in Monograph: Edwards, D. 1976. The Air Photographs Collection of the Norfolk Archaeological Unit.. Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 2 pp 251-269. p 265-267; Figs 73-74; Pls XXXII-XXXII.
<S2>Article in Serial: Clarke, R. R. 1939. The Iron Age in Norfolk and Suffolk. The Archaeological Journal. Vol XCVI pp 1-113. pp 48-50, 99; Fig 8.
<S3>Article in Monograph: Rickett, R. 1992. The Other Forts of Norfolk. The Iron Age Forts of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. Davies, J. et al. No 54 pp 59-68. p 62.
<S4>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 2002. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk, 2001. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIV Pt I pp 162-177. p 175.
<S5>Article in Serial: Penn, K., et al. 2006. Excavation and Survey at the Iron Age fort at Bloodgate Hill, South Creake, 2003Excavation and Survey at the Iron Age fort at Bloodgate Hill, South Creake, 2003. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLV Pt I pp 1-27.
<S6>Unpublished Contractor Report: Gaffney, C. 2003. Bloodgate Hill, Norfolk. Geophysical Survey Report. GSB Prospection. 2003/69.
<S7>Unpublished Contractor Report: Penn, K. 2004. An Archaeological Evaluation at Bloodgate Hill, South Creake, Norfolk. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 913.
<S8>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. 2004. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 2003. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIV Pt III pp 573-588. p 585.

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