Monument MPM115 - Iron Age stock enclosure and Bronze Age ranch boundary, Portsdown I

Excavations near Hoylake Road, Portsdown Hill, in 1963-65 revealed evidence of a Bronze Age ranch boundary and Iron Age stock enclosure at a site known as Portsdown I. The ranch boundary represented the earliest phase of the site. This consisted of a gully running east-west along the ridge of Portsdown Hill, bounded by post holes thought to represent fences/stockade. An 'entrance' part way along the gully may have been secured by a gate. This boundary may have been used to divide arable land from that used for grazing livestock. During a second phase of activity on the site a sub-rectangular stock enclosure bounded by a ditch was butted onto the earlier ranch boundary. The entrance through the gulley was blocked when the enclosure was constructed. Finds consisted of pottery sherds and fragments of animal bone.

Richard Bradley's report 'Excavations on Portsdown Hill 1963-5' in 'Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society Vol 24 1967' should by consulted for the full details of the excavation.


Ranch Boundary (Period I)

The gully took the form of two straight parallel linear features 65ft apart running east-west along the ridge of Portsdown Hill with a break, or 'entrance', in between. Excavations traced the gully for 195ft, but it was visible from the air extending a further 120ft to the west. The gully was flat bottomed and measured 2 ½ - 3ft wide by 9 and 22 inches deep. One sherd of Iron Age pottery was recovered from the primary fill, and two from the secondary fill. The western section was bounded to the north and south by a line of post holes and two low banks. The eastern section was bounded by a line of post holes and a bank to the south. The post holes, a mixture of round and square shape, were spaced at irregular intervals between 8ft and 18ft apart. Irregular clusters of shallow stake holes were present in the spaces in between. One sherd of Iron Age pottery was recovered from one of the post holes. The post holes have been interpreted as possibly representing the remains of substantial fences, the gully having been dug to provide the chalk packing needed to secure the posts. This fencing may have been supported by smaller stakes, represented by the shallower stake holes.

There was a 27ft break, or 'entrance', between the east and west sections of gully. The eastern section started slightly further to the north, meaning that it did not entirely line up with the western end. The row of post holes to the south of the eastern gully continued across the entrance at intervals of about 8 ½ft, terminating at a point nearly level with the western end. Two further post holes were identified 6ft to the south of this line, positioned below either end of the gully where it terminated for the break. A line of stakes also appeared to have crossed the entrance. It was suggested that the post holes in this area may have formed a wicket gate, or have supported detachable cross bars. A scatter of rounded pebbles, suitable for use as sling stones was found across the whole area of the entrance.

A small pit, 18 inches deep, within the area of the entrance, had been deliberately filled with large flints and pot boilers shortly after it was dug. Several sherds of Iron Age pottery were recovered from the fill. It was not possible to ascertain the pits function, or its relationship to either phase of activity on the site.




Stock Enclosure (Period II)

A sub-rectangular enclosure measuring 175ft east-west and about 150ft north-south, bounded by a V profile ditch, represented a second phase of activity on the site. The enclosure butted onto the gully of the earlier ranch boundary, cutting the north face of this feature in places, and blocking the entrance. Two entrances were positioned opposite each other in the east and west sides, below the ridge of the hill.

The ditch was 2ft 9in - 4ft 4in deep and 6ft 6in - 11ft 6in wide. There was no evidence that it had been recut at any stage. The fill consisted mainly of pieces of loose weathered chalk which had collapsed from the rampart on the inside of the enclosure. A number of sherds of Iron Age pottery were recovered from the fill. The sections of ditch on the south side of the enclosure had been sealed with a layer of dense black soil mixed with large flints. This layer may have represented ploughing in the area after the site had been abandoned. There was no evidence that the ditch had been reinforced with timber. One sherd of Romano-British pottery was recovered from the southwest corner of the ditch, suggesting that it had fallen into disuse by this date. Fragments of animal bone belonging to ox, sheep/goat, pig and badger were recovered from the south side of the ditch.

The remaining part of the east entrance to the enclosure was excavated, although a large area of the land here had been disturbed. The layout of the entrance resembled that of the earlier ranch boundary, but was smaller. A light palisade which had run along the outer lip of the ditch, ending at the causeway, was represented by a large number of stake holes. At right angles to the palisade a further two to four parallel lines of stake holes, approximately 4ft apart, ran across the surviving area of causeway and into the enclosure. There was no evidence of a gate. A few additional post holes that did not fit this pattern appeared to form lines of stakes running eastwest along the line of the causeway at 130 degrees to the external palisade. These lines were interpreted as rows of hurdling to allow livestock to be driven into the enclosure.

[2, p42-58]

<1> Portsmouth City Council, n/a, Portsmouth City SMR Cards, SU60NE9 (Index). SPM1.

<2> Bradley, Richard, 1967, Excavations on Portsdown Hill 1963-5, Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society Vol XXIV, p.42-58 (Bibliographic reference). SPM347.