Knowle Wood Fort Fort

Database entries

PDW coverage: Dartmoor Resource: Table of Devon Iron Age Forts
OS Map: SX 53356 64126
OS Source: Google
HER: MDV125834
Alternate name: Knowle Wood
Short Name: FT:Knowle Wood
Exist: Yes
Record: Unique
Record Source: PDW
Cairn Class: No
Dimensions (m): 3.5 acres
Lidar: SX 53356 64126
Nearby sites: SX 53356 64126

Notes

"A possible bank or scarp is identifiable as an earthwork on visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017, forming a near-complete circuit around the summit of the hill under Knowle Wood, Bickleigh. The earthworks are tentatively interpreted as evidence of a tor enclosure of Neolithic date or a hillfort or of Iron Age origin. The earthwork varies in width from circa 4 to 6m wide and is visible traversing the north-west, south-west and south-east sides of the hill for circa 330m, enclosing an area of just over 1ha. The bank or scarp closely follows the 140m contour on the north-west side of the hill. To the south-west it crests the hill dropping to the 135m contour, before turning to the north-east and dropping further to an elevation of circa 125m.

A length of bank or scarp circa 40m long is visible on the north-east side of the hill, again closely following the 140m contour. A possible entrance is identifiable on the western side of the enclosure, a second outer bank potentially forming an annexe or elaborated facade flanking the entrance.

L-shaped banks or scarps are identifiable within the enclosed area, possibly defining an inner compound or enclosure, possibly enclosing two circular hollows circa 5 and 8m across, centred on circa SX53306407 and SX53356407. These may be the remains of hut circles contemporary with the enclosure or simply the remains of charcoal burning platforms. Probable charcoal burning platforms are identifiable on the north-west side of the enclosure but are outside the survey area and have not been transcribed or recorded. Earthwork survey is recommended to further clarify the character of the earthworks". For more information See Phil Newman's report: Knowle Wood, Bickleigh, Dartmoor National Park, Devon

References

These are selected references with an emphasis on out of copyright sources linked as PDFs. For more detailed references try any linked HER or PMD record above.

• Basell L, Bray L, Webber H, Randall S, Crabb A, Dartmoor Tor Enclosures Survey, PAST newsletter of the Prehistoric Society No. 95 Summer 2020 (2020)
• Newman, Phil, Knowle Wood, Bickleigh Dartmoor National Park, Southwest Landscape Investigations (2019)