Cae Summerhouse Camp

Iron Age Hillfort

The monument is located on a low hilltop just north of the Warren area of sand dunes. It consists of the remains of an earthwork enclosure, the exact date or nature of which is unknown, but it is likely to be of later prehistoric origin.

The enclosure is defined by a number of low banks that partially enclose a rectangular area, with an outlying curving bank on the north side. The outer bank is 4 meters wide and 0.6 meters high, running parallel to the inner bank, which runs in a northwest/southeast direction. The inner bank is 2 meters high at its highest point on the northeast side, decreasing to 1 meter high at its northwest end. The interior height of the inner bank is 0.7 meters. Outside the inner bank is a ditch that is 4 meters wide and 0.2 meters deep, with a causeway across it that is 9 meters wide and 0.7 meters high near the southeast end.

The inner bank continues around the rectangular area, enclosing all but the southwest side. The height of the bank varies from 0.3 meters to 0.8 meters. Further northwest, another bank extends southwest, measuring 3 meters wide and 0.3 meters high. There is a sharp drop of 1 meter for a length of 22 meters to the south, and beyond this is a quarry area.

The exact purpose or function of this earthwork enclosure is unknown, and its precise date of construction remains uncertain. Further investigation and research may be needed to determine its significance and place in the local archaeological context.

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