SOUDLEY CAMP

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DESCRIPTION

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Soudley Camp is a probable Iron Age promontory fort and consists of an enclosed area roughly triangular in shape situated on the end of a spur that overlooks the junction of three valleys. The western and wider end is protected by a very large bank and ditch with a central entrance. The north and south sides are protected by precipitous natural slopes. These earthworks are visible on aerial photographs.

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(SO 66161058) Camp (R) (1)

Soudley Camp consists of an enclosed area of not more than one-eighth of an acre situated on the end of a ridge. The defences on the north and west consist of a bank of great strength with an outer ditch. On the south side the escarpment of the hill forms a natural defence and on the east there is only a slight bank. (2)

Visible on APs, as described. (3)

A small level topped projection, triangular in shape, 150 ft long with a strong bank and ditch on the west. The other sides have steep natural defence. The gap in the bank seems to be modern or at least not original.

The small area enclosed and the massive bank, maximum 13ft high from the bottom of the ditch, suggest a medieval rather than an IA origin, and I have catalogued it as a castle. (4)

This earthwork has the appearance of a small IA promontory fort. It is roughly triangular and occupies the end of a spur. The western and wider end is protected by a very large bank and ditch which is IA in character and has an entrance in the centre, the NE and SE sides are protected by precipitous natural sloues. The site overlooks the junction of three valleys.

Resurveyed at 1:2500 (5)

D J C King is authoritative on castles but the identification of this earthwork as medieval is rather conjectural. The only artificial defence to be seen is the rampart cutting off the end of the spur and this is generally 2.0m high with a 1.0m deep outer ditch. It has more of an IA appearance than a medieval one, where a defensive bank or wall would normally be carried right round the perimeter irrespective of any natural defence.

The central simple gap in the rampart has been defaced by modern dumping but is almost certainly an original feature. Excavation is necessary for certain classification but on balance an IA origin seems more likely. (6)

Scheduled under 'Camps and Settlements' as 'Soudley Camp, Lower Soudley'. (7)

Earthwork (NR) (8)

Listed in general survey of Iron Age in Gloucestershire. (9)

SO 6614 1058. Investigation of molehills at Soudley camp produced 5 pieces of Romano-British Severn Valley Ware pottery, several pieces of haematite and bloomery slag, charcoal and a flint flake. (10)

The Iron Age promontory fort described by the previous authorities is visible on aerial photographs. (11)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1955

( 2a) Cotteswold Naturalists Field Club proceedings

(F G Playne) 6 - 1871-6 Page(s)235

( 2) General reference

Arch Handbook Glos 1883 46-47 No 93 (G B Witts)

( 3) Aerial photograph

APs (F22 58/RAF/2594 0081-2 26.9.58)

( 4) Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 ANK 28-MAY-70

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

F2 NVQ 08-JUN-70

( 7) Scheduled Monument Notification

DOE (AM's List 31.12.77 38

( 8) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 1:10 000 1978

(9) edited by Alan Saville 1984 Archaeology in Gloucestershire from the earliest hunters to the industrial age : essays dedicated to Helen O'Neil and the late Elsie Clifford

1984 Page(s)165

(10) The new regard of the Forest of Dean : journal of the Forest of Dean Local History Society

(B Walters) 3 - 1987 Page(s)78

(11) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

NMR OS/84041 026 21-APR-1984

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