Bolnhurst. Bedford - Friends of Putnoe Wood and Mowsbury Hillfort

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Bolnhurst. Bedford

Mowsbury Hillfort > Beds Hillforts
The site consists of the remains of an Iron Age hillfort and a medieval moated enclosure. The hillfort is delineated by an irregular shaped earthwork formed by a single ditch and bank. The ditch survives on the north, north west and south sides but has been largely filled in elsewhere. The internal bank or rampart survives as an earthwork 25m wide and 1m high on all sides except the east. The interior is likely to contain remains of buildings. The earthwork is bisected from east to west by Church Lane, and the medieval moated enclosure lies in the northern part, reusing the Iron Age ditches. The enclosed area measures approx 110m east to west. The western part of the ditch is water filled and measures 5m across, but elsewhere has been levelled. A triangular pond in the northern area is thought to be of medieval or post medieval type, although other earthworks in this area may be of either medieval or Iron Age date. To the north of the main enclosure is a small rectangular moated outwork, thought to form part of the medieval site.
Flints have reportedly been found in the ditch, and Roman pottery was found during fieldwalking in 1982. A Roman silver coin dating to 222-235 AD was found in the garden of an adjacent house.
  • DITCH (Early Iron Age to 1st Century - 650 BC to 43 AD)
  • HILLFORT (Early Iron Age to 1st Century - 650 BC to 43 AD)
  • MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

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