Caynham Camp, a large univallate hillfort 700m north west of Caynham

Heritage listing

Details The monument includes Caynham Camp, a large univallate hillfort, with an annex, rectangular enclosure and building platform, situated on the summit of a small spur at the western foot of the Clee Hill escarpment. The hillfort is roughly oval in plan with maximum dimensions of 460m south west to north east by 190m transversely and has a total enclosed area of approximately 4ha. The defences are designed to take maximum advantage of the natural strength of the hill and show three phases of construction. The earliest phase is now the eastern compartment of the earthworks. Here the defences include a substantial earth and stone rampart set on the upper slopes of the hill to completely encircle its rounded summit. The rampart is at its most massive at the eastern end of the enclosure, the most natural approach to the site. Here it stands 4.1m high on its interior side and 5.5m on its exterior. This is flanked by an outer plough-spread bank 20m wide and 1.4m high which curves around the hill roughly north west to south east for 80m, parallel to, and some 10m out from the base of, the main rampart. Though this area has been disturbed in the past by cultivation, it is certain that a ditch lies between this outer bank and the main rampart. At the south east corner of the enclosure the outer bank ends. Here the main rampart is interrupted by a good example of an original inturned entrance; the north and south parts of the rampart curl inwards to form a narrow passage through the defences 40m long and only 3m wide. Such inturned entrances were developed to ensure that any approach to the interior of the site could be overlooked and controlled from above. From the entrance westwards the ramparts continue in a similar form with an average outer height in excess of 5m. They a

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.