Event/Activity EPM20 - Iron Age enclosure, Portsdown Hill I

Excavation carried out in late December 1964/early 1965 by Richard Bradley and a team of volunteers to further investigate features to the north of Hoylake Road. The site had previously been identified by Mr A. W. T. Rule from the air, where it was visible as two sub-rectangular crop marks. Four trial trenches were subsequenty excavated by Margaret Rule, two of which sectioned a v-profile ditch, but no clear dating evidence was recovered. Bradley's excavation sought to clarify the function and date of the site. Due to wartime disturbance work had to be limited to the investigation of the most westerly of the two features. The excavation revealed evidence of an early Iron Age pastoral (stock) enclosure and 'ranch boundary'. The finds from both Bradley and Rule's excavations were deposited with Portsmouth Museum under the accession number 1968/198.