Out & About …

… on the North York Moors, or wherever I happen to be.

Middledean Camp

Viewed from across the precipitous Middledean Burn, the double earthbanks of the Iron Age fort known as Middledean Camp stands out against the smooth rounded hills of Breamish Valley in the Cheviots1ā€˜Heritage Gateway – Resultsā€™. 2012. Heritagegateway.org.uk <https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=cd0510d7-bb36-4fa9-98bc-ffe71c757142&resourceID=19191> [accessed 28 October 2022].

Double earthworks such as this are termed ‘bivallate’2Wikipedia Contributors. 2022. ā€˜Hillfortā€™, Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation) <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillfort#:~:text=Solsbury%20Hill.-,Bivallate,-%3A%20a%20double%20circuit> [accessed 28 October 2022]. Promontary hillforts are those which are defended by steep slopes on 2 or 3 sides3Wikipedia Contributors. 2022. ā€˜Hillfortā€™, Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation) <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillfort#:~:text=Inland-,Promontory,-%3A%20an%20inland%20defensive> [accessed 28 October 2022]. From this angle Middledean appears to have just the one side, but in fact the bluff extends around the south and east sides.

Hillforts and other prehistoric sites abound in these hills. It has long been established that they were built by ancient Britons about 2300 years ago. But what is not clear exactly why they were built. They do not seem to have been purely for defence. Middledean has several internal hut circles4ā€˜Heritage Gateway – Resultsā€™. 2012. Heritagegateway.org.uk <https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=cd0510d7-bb36-4fa9-98bc-ffe71c757142&resourceID=19191> [accessed 28 October 2022]. It could have been seasonal accommodation for the people who practiced transhumance when cattle was brought into the hills for summer grazing. Another possibility is that itĀ may have had a ceremonial or ritual use.


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2 responses to “Middledean Camp”

  1. Alan Radcliffe avatar
    Alan Radcliffe

    Interesting history, near to where our daughter Sarah lives just outside Alnwick. A wild area but the valley is extremely busy in summer with holiday makers from Newcastle area. There is a fell race which joins up the forts

    1. Fhithich avatar
      Fhithich

      Quite quiet today.

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