The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust
Historic Environment Record
 

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Bishop Barnet's Wood Camp

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 01161g
Trust : Glamorgan Gwent
Community : Mathern
Unitary authority : Monmouthshire
NGR : ST51969419
Site Type (preferred type first) : Iron Age Enclosure
Status : Scheduled Monument

Summary :
Small hillslope enclosure on a N-facing slope in dense woodland. Does not appear to be defensive; described variously as circular and roughly rectangular; internal measurements 30.0x35.0m.

Description :
Small hillslope enclosure on a N-facing slope in dense woodland. Does not appear to be defensive; described variously as circular and roughly rectangular; internal measurements 30.0x35.0m. Inner bank averages 9.0-10.0m width and 0.4m high externally; ditch 0.7m deep below outer ground; inner bank averages 3.0m wide and 0.4m high. RCAHMW suggests a post-Roman date. GGAT 63 Romano-British SE Wales Settlement Survey (2001)

This defended site lies on a north facing slope within deciduous woodland. Small and sub-rectangular, it has gaps both on the south and east sides.
The site is defended by a bank and ditch, and to the northwest where the slope falls gently away, by a counterscarp bank also.

A profile of a north-western section of this bank, ditch and counterscarp gave the following measurements: The inner height of the bank is 0.6m, the outer height into the ditch is 0.8m, the spread of the bank from its crest to where its virtually disappears in the interior is 3.5m. The ditch width is 5m from crest to crest and the inner height of the counterscarp bank into the ditch is 0.4m. The outer height of this counterscarp bank is between 0.6-0.8m, with a spread from the crest to the ground level of about 2.5m. The overall width of the defences at this point is 11m.

The enclosure is built on a slope and the south-eastern corner has been built into the slope itself and as such has no counterscarp bank. A profile of this south-eastern section of this bank and ditch gave the following measurements: the inner height of the bank is between 1-1.2m, with a spread of 5m from the crest to the level of the interior. The ditch is also 5m in width from crest to crest, the inner height of which is between 0.8-1m, the outer height of which is 0.6-0.8m and constitutes the ground level at this point which then continues to rise further eastwards.

As a scheduled ancient monument, the enclosure suffers from illegal fires in the interior and would benefit from management of dead wood within the interior. The OS card questions whether this site is of a defended nature. After a site visit it is consider that this is a good example of a prehistoric defended enclosure and matches other such examples within Gwent. (Wiggins 2006)

Sources :
Blockley, M and Dingwall, L , 2000 , An assessment of the archaeological and industrial heritage of the Wye Valley AONB
Evans, E M , 2001 , Romano-British southeast Wales settlement survey: Final report ( © GGAT)
Savory H.N. , 1950 , List of Hill-Forts and Other Earthworks in Wales: II Monmouthshire , The Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies : XIII pt.IV : 231-238
Wiggins, H , 2006 , Prehistoric defended enclosures in Gwent ( © GGAT)
Pm desc text/Evans E/2001/GGAT 63 Romano-British SE Wales Settlement Survey

Events :
E001510 : Field visit to Bishop Barnet's wood camp (year : 2006)
E001550 : Prehistoric defended enclosures Gwent (year : 2006)
E001657 : Romano-British Southeast Wales Settlement Survey (year : 1998-2001)
E004581 : Forest Enterprise Welsh Heritage Assets Project:Rhondda/St Gwynno (year : 1999)
E002646 : Assessment of the Wye Valley DBA (year : 2000)

Related records
National Monuments Record NPRN 308008 http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/308008/details

Compiled date : 02-08-1988


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