Scheduled Monuments›England›Rampart and ditch of an unfinished promontory fort on Chillerton Down, known as `Five Barrows'

Rampart and ditch of an unfinished promontory fort on Chillerton Down, known as `Five Barrows'

England

List entry 1010012

Nation

England

The designation

Reference

List entry 1010012

Authority

Historic England (NHLE)

Status

Scheduled Monument

Scheduled area

0.38 hectares

Grid reference

SZ 47997 83890

Boundary

Scheduled area

Overview

History & significance

Five Barrows is a partially constructed Iron Age promontory fort situated on Chillerton Down in Hampshire. The site comprises a substantial rampart and ditch system that defines the defended area, though archaeological evidence indicates the fortification was never completed. The earthwork's positioning on the promontory exploits the natural topography to provide defensive advantage, with the artificial defences supplementing the natural slopes. Dating to the Iron Age period, the site represents an important example of hillfort construction practices and settlement strategy in southern Britain, offering insight into both the ambitions and the practical constraints faced by Iron Age communities.

Rampart and ditch of an unfinished promontory fort on Chillerton Down, known as `Five Barrows' is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1010012. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Rampart and ditch of an unfinished promontory fort on Chillerton Down, known as `Five Barrows'?

Five Barrows is a partially constructed Iron Age promontory fort situated on Chillerton Down in Hampshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1010012.

Who is responsible for protecting Rampart and ditch of an unfinished promontory fort on Chillerton Down, known as `Five Barrows'?

Rampart and ditch of an unfinished promontory fort on Chillerton Down, known as `Five Barrows' is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1010012.

What other scheduled monuments are near Rampart and ditch of an unfinished promontory fort on Chillerton Down, known as `Five Barrows'?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bowl barrow 730m north east of Presford Farm known as `Sheards Barrow' (1.3 km), Bowl barrow 525m east of Stone Place Farm (1.9 km), Moated site 100m north east of Wolverton Manor (2.9 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Rampart and ditch of an unfinished promontory fort on Chillerton Down, known as `Five Barrows'

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Rampart and ditch of an unfinished promontory fort on Chillerton Down, known as `Five Barrows''s history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview

An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.

Monuments

The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.

Battlefields

The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.

Roman Britain

The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.

Domesday

The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.

Civil War

The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.

Geology

The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.

LiDAR

Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.

Local Names

What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.

Historical Maps

Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.

Literature

The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.

Legal

The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.

Spotlight

A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.

Target Zones

For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.

Timeline

The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.

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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Bowl barrow 730m north east of Presford Farm known as `Sheards Barrow'

1.3 km

Bowl barrow 525m east of Stone Place Farm

1.9 km

Moated site 100m north east of Wolverton Manor

2.9 km

Rock Roman villa

5.6 km

Bowl barrow on St Catherine's Down, 680m north of lighthouse on St Catherine's Hill

6.2 km

Bowl barrow 600m north west of Ladyacre Farm

6.8 km

Bowl barrow, lime kiln, and a medieval lighthouse forming the west tower of an oratory, all set within a medieval enclosure on St Catherine's Hill

6.8 km

Medieval settlement remains and moated site at Stenbury Manor

6.8 km

The ground beneath

The bedrock under Rampart and ditch of an unfinished promontory fort on Chillerton Down, known as `Five Barrows'

Rampart and ditch of an unfinished promontory fort on Chillerton Down, known as `Five Barrows' stands on Grey Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Cenomanian. The rock here is chalk.

Domesday entry for Chillerton, Hampshire →

All Scheduled Monuments