Great House Camp

Iron Age Hillfort

Great House Camp appears to be a multivallate hillfort, which is believed to date to the Iron Age period (c. 800 BC – AD 74, the Roman conquest of Wales). It is located on the northeast end of a ridge overlooking the Olway valley, and it occupies a strategic position with extensive views in all directions. The hillfort consists of a large, roughly circular fort with Great House and associated farm buildings occupying the middle of the southern side.

The fort is enclosed by multiple banks and ditches, which vary in height and preservation along different sides. The inner scarp, or the steep inner slope, is generally between 1.6m and 3m high, with the outer banks and ditches gradually decreasing in height towards the outside. The banks and ditches are well preserved along the southeast and northwest sides, where they are steep-sided and in woodland.

There are gaps or entrances in the banks and ditches on the south and north sides, with the southern gap likely to be the original entrance to the fort due to its width of 6m and steep sides. The interior of the fort is generally flat with no traces of surface features.

The monument provides important insights into the defensive strategies, settlement patterns, and social organization of the Iron Age people who inhabited the area during that time period. Further archaeological investigation and research may reveal more information about the fort’s occupants, their way of life, and the significance of the site within the broader Iron Age landscape of the region.

Sites near Great House Camp