Berry Mound
| Berry Mound | |
|
Warwickshire | |
|---|---|
 Earthwork ramparts of Berry Mound | |
| Type: | Hill fort |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SP095778 |
| Location: | 52°23’55"N, 1°51’40"W |
| Village: | Major's Green |
| History | |
| Built Iron Age | |
| Information | |
Berry Mound is an Iron Age hill fort in Warwickshire, at Major's Green near Shirley, on the outskirts of the Birmingham conurbation and beside the border of Worcestershire to the west (marked here by a minor brook below the ramparts).
The fort has been dated to the 1st or 2nd century BC.[1]
The fort covers eleven acres, measuring 450 feet from north to south and 200 feet from east to west.[2] It is surrounded by an earthen rampart 24 feet wide. To the north was a V-shaped ditch that was 15 feet wide and 6 feet deep, to the south one 22-foot wide and 7-foot deep.[1] Faint traces of a second rampart or defensive terrace to the north were observed in 1959,[2] and 19th century observers recorded the existence of a third line of ramparts and ditches, though no traces of these remain.[3]
The entrance to the fort was on the east side,[1] though it is possible that there was originally a second entrance located on an axis with the first, as at the similar Sutton Walls Hill Fort.[2]
The site was excavated in 1959, with traces of timber revetments being found on the ramparts.[1]
The site has previously been known as "Danes camp field" and "Danes bury field" the term Berry or Bury comes from the old English burh meaning a defensive position. There are local stories concerning King Alfred doing battle with the Danes who had been trapped in Berry Mound, excavations at the site showed signs of refortification at a later date which would fit in with this story.
Nearby to the south-west lies a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Berry Mound Pastures, comprising an area of over 29 acres of horse-grazed pasture land and meadow. The site was first notified in 1994. The interest of the site lies in the diversity of the semi-natural grassland. In addition there is a stream and a small pond, and much rich flora and fauna can be found here.[4]
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Berry Mound) |
References
- ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Berry Mound: National Monuments Record
- ↑ Jump up to: 2.0 2.1 2.2 Gerrard, Larch S. (1959). "Berry Mound, Solihull". Transactions and Proceedings, Birmingham Archaeological Society 75: 93–94. SSN 0140-4202.
- ↑ Whitehouse, David (1980). "Berry Mound, Solihull". Transactions, Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society 89: 162–163. SSN 0140-4202.
- ↑ SSSI listing and designation for Berry Mound Pastures