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Oldbury Camp: an Iron Age fort at Oldbury-on-Severn

A Scheduled Monument in Oldbury-upon-Severn, South Gloucestershire

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.6319 / 51°37'54"N

Longitude: -2.5632 / 2°33'47"W

OS Eastings: 361112.321253

OS Northings: 192717.791003

OS Grid: ST611927

Mapcode National: GBR JR.8KXL

Mapcode Global: VH87W.J78T

Entry Name: Oldbury Camp: an Iron Age fort at Oldbury-on-Severn

Scheduled Date: 21 March 1955

Last Amended: 3 December 1992

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1013187

English Heritage Legacy ID: 12005

County: South Gloucestershire

Civil Parish: Oldbury-upon-Severn

Built-Up Area: Oldbury-on-Severn

Traditional County: Gloucestershire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Gloucestershire

Church of England Parish: Oldbury-on-Severn St Arilda

Church of England Diocese: Gloucester

Details

Oldbury Camp, also known as "The Toot", consists of a fort of probable Iron
Age date (1500-50 BC) with a double bank and ditch on its north and east sides
and a single bank to the west. At their highest, the inner and outer ramparts
stand to a height of 1.9m and 1.5m respectively. The site occupies a
strategic but low-lying prominence overlooking the Oldbury Pill some 200m to
the north. Traces of the inner rampart have been noted to the south of the
monument although these do not appear on the OS map. Instead the southern
half of the site is fronted by a large earthwork platform c.150m x 75m in
extent. This has been suggested as representing the remains of a wharf
structure although it is more likely the result of later agricultural activity
levelling the rampart in this area. The site continued in use beyond the Iron
Age; a considerable number of Roman coins have been recovered while the layout
of the medieval village was determined by the structure of the earlier fort.
All modern buildings are excluded from the scheduling; however, with the
exception of the ground beneath the new development south of Wisteria House,
the ground beneath these buildings is included.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

The site is one of a small and poorly understood group of hillforts peripheral
to a major group situated in the Cotswolds. The site is important because of
its unusual character, lowland setting and its excellent condition. It also
has evidence for continued use into the Roman and Medieval periods, the plan
of the medieval village being largely determined by the plan and extent of the
hillfort.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Witts, G B, Archaeology handbook for Gloucestershire, (1883)
O'Neil, H, 'Trans Bristol Gloucs Archaeological Society' in Trans Bristol Gloucs Archaeological Society, , Vol. 93, (1974)
Other
OSAD, ST 69 SW 1, (1968)

Source: Historic England

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