Ancient Monuments

History on the Ground

This site is entirely user-supported. See how you can help.

Cleeve Hill camp near Cheltenham

A Scheduled Monument in Southam, Gloucestershire

We don't have any photos of this monument yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?

Upload Photo »

Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

If Google Street View is available, the image is from the best available vantage point looking, if possible, towards the location of the monument. Where it is not available, the satellite view is shown instead.

Coordinates

Latitude: 51.9278 / 51°55'39"N

Longitude: -2.0232 / 2°1'23"W

OS Eastings: 398499.719891

OS Northings: 225473.205561

OS Grid: SO984254

Mapcode National: GBR 2M0.59B

Mapcode Global: VHB1J.WT81

Entry Name: Cleeve Hill camp near Cheltenham

Scheduled Date: 1 January 1900

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1002132

English Heritage Legacy ID: GC 32

County: Gloucestershire

Civil Parish: Southam

Traditional County: Gloucestershire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Gloucestershire

Church of England Parish: Bishop's Cleeve St Michael and All Angels

Church of England Diocese: Gloucester

Summary

Small multivallate hillfort 275m south east of Nutterswood.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 8 July 2015. The record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

This monument includes a small multivallate hillfort situated on the extremely prominent plateau of Cleeve Common on one of the highest points on the Cotswold Scarp in an area known as Cleeve Cloud. This situation also gives the hillfort its alternative local name of ‘Cleve Cloud Camp’. The hillfort occupies a small sloping promontory on the scarp and the western defences are therefore formed by the scarp, elsewhere they are formed by concentric double rampart banks both standing up to 9.1m wide and 2.5m high. The accompanying ditches are up to 9.1m wide and 0.7m deep and an intermediate berm measures 9.1m wide. The interior of the hillfort covers an area of just below 3ha and there is no obvious entrance because of subsequent quarrying and the landscaping of the area during its re-use within a 19th century golf course.

Three post medieval tree ring enclosures have also been indentified to the north, within and to the east of the hillfort which were in the past misinterpreted as possible watch towers or buildings associated with it.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Small multivallate hillforts are defined as fortified enclosures of varying shape, generally between 1 and 5ha in size and located on hilltops. They are defined by boundaries consisting of two or more lines of closely set earthworks spaced at intervals of up to 15m. These entirely surround the interior except on sites located on promontories, where cliffs may form one or more sides of the monument. Earthworks may consist of a rampart alone or of a rampart and ditch which, on many sites, are associated with counterscarp banks and internal quarry scoops. Access to the interior is generally provided by one or two entrances, either simple gaps in the earthwork or inturned passages, sometimes with guardrooms. The interior generally consists of settlement evidence including round houses, four and six post structures interpreted as raised granaries, roads, pits, gullies, hearths and a variety of scattered post and stake holes. Evidence from outside numerous examples of small multivallate hillforts suggests that extra-mural settlement was of a similar nature. Small multivallate hillforts are rare with around 100 examples recorded nationally. Most are located in the Welsh Marches and the south-west with a concentration of small monuments in the north-east. In view of the rarity of small multivallate hillforts and their importance in understanding the nature of settlement and social organisation within the Iron Age period, all examples with surviving archaeological remains are believed to be of national importance.

Despite quarrying and landscaping for a golf course the small multivallate hillfort 275m south east of Nutterswood survives comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, longevity, trade, agricultural practices, social organisation, territorial significance, domestic arrangements and overall landscape context.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
PastScape 117630 and 1410556

Source: Historic England

Other nearby scheduled monuments

AncientMonuments.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact AncientMonuments.uk for any queries related to any individual ancient or schedued monument, planning permission related to scheduled monuments or the scheduling process itself.

AncientMonuments.uk is a Good Stuff website.