MDE1248 - Myrtleberry South Camp (Monument)

The earthwork remains of a univallate hillslope enclosure has been formed by terracing into a steep slope. It is roughly rectangular and probably of Iron Age date, with seven internal platforms that may or may not be contemporary.

(SS 7417 4832) Earthworks shown but not described. [1] Known as Myrtleberry South, this is a univallate hillslope enclosure of about one acre, immediately south of the junction of footpaths from Waters Meet and Higher East Lyn. [2,3] An Iron Age hillslope enclosure located on a slight shelf of a precipitous easterly hillslope. The uphill side comprises a strong bank and rock-cut ditch but the lower side is delimited only by the steep natural slope. There are two gaps in the rampart (on the north and south sides), both have been utilised by a probably modern pathway but the former appears to be original. The internal artificial level platform against the northern rampart probably indicates the habitation site. Resurveyed at 1:2500. [4] Myrtlebury South Camp covers an area of 0.6 hectacres. It is a sub-rectangular enclosure protected by a rampart and ditch on the longer west side and on the short north and south sides. The east side has no rampart but falls sharply to the Lyn Gorge below. The ditch on the west side is completely silted by wash from above. Otherwise ramparts and ditches are in average condition for the area. The site is an Iron Age hillslope enclosure. [5] SS 7416 4832. An enclosed settlement of uncertain period. The site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, Devon No.710. [6] Site condition stable. The modern path cuts through the bank on the northern side of the enclosure, but a possible original entrance can be seen a little to the west of the modern break. In short grass at least five platforms can be seen in the interior: one in the northwest corner and the others in the southern two-thirds of the site, as well as a level central area, probably an open 'townplace'. I see no compelling reason for regarding this as an Iron Age site - it could as well be medieval (cf the Cadeleigh enclosures). [7] The settlement lies about 260 metres above Ordnance Datum in thick deciduous woodland and overlooks Hoaroak Water some 400 metres south of its junction with the East Lyn River. The site has recently been cleared of some trees and scrub. It has been reseeded and is at present under short grass and bracken with a few deciduous trees within the enclosure. Set into a steep southeast facing slope the settlement is basically subrectangular in form oriented along the slope and it measures internally about 80 metres northeast to southwest by 35 metres, an area of some 0.25 hectares. The upper western side and the short north and south sides are formed by a bank with an external ditch. Where best preserved (central to the south side) the bank is 4.5 metres wide, 0.7 metres high internally and 1.6 metres high above the outer ditch which is 4.5 metres wide and 0.5 metres deep. Midway along the western side, for some 35 metres, the ditch is silted and now merges with the bank into the general slope. Along the eastern side excavated material from the interior has been dumped downhill to form a platform across the lower half of the enclosure marked by an outer facing scarp up to 5 metres wide and 2 metres high which merges at its base with the natural slope. A footpath runs along the eastern part of the enclosure through narrow gaps in the north and south banks near their eastern ends. At the northern gap there is a step in the bank which suggests that this was most probably the original entrance. Some 13 metres west of the gap, there is a lowering of the bank which Griffith [7] suggest was "a possible original entrance" however, there is no causeway over the ditch, no opposing break in the outer scarp and no evidence of erosion caused by usage so this is extremely doubtful. It is difficult to ascertain if the gap in the southern bank is an original feature widened by use over the years or a modern break. Internally there are seven identifiable platforms. One, at SS 7417 4833 is oval, 5 metres north to south by 3 metres with frontal and rear scarps, but mainly they are crescentic stone revetted frontal scarps built up against the steep inner scarp on the western side. They vary from 3 metres to 10 metres across and 0.3 metres to 1.4 metres in height and are most probably stances for buildings. At SS 74145 48292, set in the ground between two platforms, is an earthfast stone, 0.6 metres long by 0.2 metres wide and 0.2 metres high. Griffith suggests there is no compelling reason for regarding this as an Iron Age site and states that it could as well be medieval and refers to the Cadleigh Enclosures (Devon HER references MDV1205 and MDV1206 - see External Links, [33]) for comparison. The steepness of the slopes here dictate that any enclosure would of necessity be constructed along the slope, that is long and narrow and hence tend to be rectangular. It is often a feature of hillslope enclosures, as in this site, to have this form of stronger boundary around the uphill side, more open downhill side and several internal platforms. So there appears to be nothing to preclude this from being an Iron Age settlement [8]. There is however nothing to prevent this site from having been reused at a later period, though no ground evidence was found to verify this. *Note: The settlement is not named on the Ordnance Survey plans, however the woods from which it takes its name are spelt "Myrtleberry" [9,10], so the spelling "Myrtlebury"' quoted in [6,7], would appear to be incorrect. Published 1:2500 Survey revised. [11-12] Generally as described by the above authority, except that the internal platforms may have been reused in the context of charcoal burning. Surveyed at 1:500 scale, 20 July 1996. [13-15] On a slight shelf of a precipitous easterly hillslope. Uphill side comprises of a strong bank and rock cut ditch but the lower side is delimited only by the steep natural slope. There are two gaps in the rampart (on the north and south sides). Both have been utilised by a possibly modern pathway but the former appears to be original. The internal artificial level platform against the northern rampart probably indicates the habitation site. [16] Good condition. Most of the site under pasture and bracken but ends of crossbanks are covered with trees. [17] Small elongated enclosure which follows contours along steep slope. 7 platforms, mainly along west side. May have been used for charcoal burning. Non-defensive position, with good access to river, sea and high moor. Shares ridge with 3 other enclosures and proximity to Myrtleberry North Camp must have meant some association existed between them. [18] Prehistoric hill-slope enclosure at Myrtleberry South Camp. Sub-rectangular with rounded corners. Terraced into the hillside and defined on three sides by a single bank and ditch. The bank has an average width of 4.5 metres and is 0.7 metres high internally and 1.6 metres high above the external ditch which is around 4 metres wide. Ditch no longer visible over much of its length although it will survive as a buried feature and, where it is visible at the southwest and northwest corners, it retains a depth of 0.5 metres. The fourth and east side of the enclosure has been formed by excavated material from the interior having been dumped downhill to create a platform marked by an outer facing scarp up to 5 metres wide and 2 metres high which merges at its base with the natural slope of the valley side. The original entrance was probably on the north face where there are suggestive earthwork traces and a gap now occupied by a modern path; the gap which lies directly opposite in the south face may have been created to facilitate the path and could be totally modern. The interior of the enclosure measures about 80 metres northeast-southwest by 35 metres northwest-southeast, providing an area of about 0.28 hectacres in which there are at least seven identifiable platforms. Most of these platforms take the form of crescent-shaped stone-revetted scarps built against the inner west enclosure wall. Whilst they are considered to be building platforms it is not certain whether they are prehistoric, which is most likely, or evidence of a later phase of occupation. In studies conducted on this class of monument it has been noted that the majority of sites have a stronger boundary around the uphill side, a more open downhill side, and several internal platforms. All of these features are in evidence at the monument of Myrtleberry South Camp. [19] SS 74164831. Myrtleberry South Camp, an Iron Age hillslope enclosure. Scheduled. [23] Placename 'Myrtleberry' not recorded in Place Names of Devon. [24] Myrtleberry North & South are in National Trust ownership. Myrtleberry South is located on an east facing slope and contains several platforms. NTSMR Nos 100257-9. [26] Due to the felling of some of the tree cover, the earthworks at Myrtleberry South are partly visible on aerial photographs of 1952 and 1995. The ditch is not visible from the air and the earthworks appear eroded. The visible earthworks have been transcribed as part of the Exmoor National Mapping Programme. [27-9] A vegetation clearance programme was undertaken by the National Trust in 2008 to deal with scrub growth on the site. [30] The Scheduled Monument Condition Assessment of 2009 gave the site a survival score of 4. [31] The site was surveyed in May 2015 as part of the 2015 Exmoor Scheduled Monument Condition Assessment. It was given a survival score of 10. [32] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [34]