CAESARS CAMP

ABOUT THIS MONUMENT

+ / -

EH Visitor Information
Related Monuments
Related Text
Investigation History

More Pictures
Modern Map
Old Map
Aerial Photograph

Monument Types
Sources
Thesaurus
Description

DESCRIPTION

+ / -

Iron Age hillfort on a spur above the River Ivel. Much damaged. Original extent uncertain

DETAIL

+ / -

MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

+ / -

(TL 180490) Caesar's Camp (NAT) Fort (NR). (1)

Caesar's Camp is an Iron Age contour fort occupying a steep-sided
narrow spur overlooking the River Ivel. It is much damaged and its
original extent is uncertain; the area of the existing portion is
about 7 acres. (2-3)

The fort is surrounded by a single bank and ditch, strongest at
the southern angle where the rampart is 8feet high on the inside
and 20 feet outside, with a broad terrace on the outside. The
eastern side of the fort has disappeared but the western side
is traceable as far as the Cambridge road, which probably
represents the northern extremity of the fort.

The date of construction of Caesar's Camp is uncertain

Undecorated handmade pottery dug up in the interior in 1505 was
of the 1st century BC. Hawkes (5) and Fox (4) suggest an Early
Iron Age 'C' date, but Hawkes and Dunning (6) state that evidence
of Belgic occupation has been found. Ralegh-Radford (7) suggests
that Sandy was a city of the Catuvellanni and may refer to
this site. (4-8)

Univallate hill-fort: well preserved on south and east, less well
preserved on west and almost completely lost on the north and
north-west where the Old Cambridge road probably follows the
course of the ditch. The single entrance entrance is placed at
the southern end of the west side in a well-defined enclave, but
gardening etc has destroyed any evidence of inturning etc and the
entrance comprises a simple gap in the rampart.

Published survey 1:2500 revised. (9)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) General reference

OS 1:10 000 1974

( 2) General reference

VCH Beds 1 1904 271-3 plan

( 3) General reference

Ewks of Beds 1920 39-41 plan illust

( 4) General reference

Arch Cambr Reg 1923 109 134 139 (C Fox)

( 5) General reference

Ant 5 1931 90 95 (C F C Hawkes)

( 6) General reference

Arch J 87 1930 258 (Hawkes & G C Dunning)

( 7) General reference

PPS 20 1954 4 (C A Ralegh-Radford)

( 8) General reference

Beds Arch J 8 1973 19 (A Simco)

( 9) Field Investigators Comments

F1 CFW 28-FEB-68

MONUMENT TYPES

+ / -

COMMENTS

+ / -

Please help us keep our information accurate let us know if you see any errors on this page.

Further information about monuments may be obtained by contacting NMR Enquiry and Research Services , through the English Heritage website.

EH Prints
English Heritage
Heritage Explorer
Heritage Gateway
Images of England
NMR
ViewFinder