Monument record MDO4810 - Roman fort on Hod Hill, Stourpaine

A Roman fort built into the north-west corner of an Iron Age hillfort and utilising its pre-existing earthwork defences on its northern and western sides. Stylistic- and excavated evidence suggests this fort was built in the early stages of the Roman conquest (a date of AD44 has been suggested but may be overly-precise), and became disused after a period of occupation perhaps lasting only a few years. The record for this monument has been enhanced with support from Wessex Water.

Hod Hill: an Iron Age hillfort of massive proportions occupying the summit of a steep sided plateau above the River Stour. It has the unique distinction of having a Roman Fort located within its NW corner which in part utilises the defences.

The Iron Age fort is bivallate except on the steeper western slope where it is univallate. There are two entrances, both inturned, one at the NE corner known as the Steepleton Gate, the other at the western end of the S rampart. The former has a massive hornwork, the latter an extra line of rampart and ditch. Excavations (Boyd Dawkins (2) and Richmond (4,5)) have indicated at least three phases of construction commencing with a box rampart. Pottery ranges through Iron Age 'A,B,C' and Maiden Castle 'B': other finds include currency bars and some 40 Durotrigian and possibly Durotrigian gold and silver coins.

The fort fell very early in the Roman invasion (there is evidence of assault by ballista) and the site was utilised in part for a Roman Fort. This encloses some 4.5ha and was of earth with timber buildings; it housed a mixed garrison of legionaries and auxiliaries.

On the evidence of coins and pottery the occupation was firmly Claudian but short (43-51 AD). The majority of the finds are in the British Museum.

An Iron Age hillfort and Roman Fort generally as described above; both in good condition.1:2500 survey revised. Nvq

Full report on early finds from Hod Hill in the Durden Collection (BM) and on Richmond's excavation 1951-8.

Detailed report of Hod Hill (totally enclosing an area of 54 acres). An additional unfinished Iron Age outwork, enclosing 1 1/2 acres, lies at the NW corner of the fort. This feature extended the defences, but there was no access to the interior of the hill fort. A low lynchet bisected the earthwork, perhaps dividing gardens associated with the Roman garrison. Plan 1 (enlargement of RCHM plan to 1:2500 scale) and Plan 2.

DUNUM - Probably the Roman fort at Hod Hill. (11) rivet and smith

Re-interpretaion of the pre-Flavian and Claudian periods at Hod Hill. (12) Britannia 1986

A re-appraisal of the ballistraria at Hod Hill suggests that Richmond's interpretation is incorrect, as this form of defence only became common in the later C3rd, and that the types of artillery in use during the life of the Roman fort did not require special platforms. (13) Britainnia 1984

ST 857 106. Hod Hill. Listed in gazetteer as a multivallate hillfort covering 22ha. (14) Hogg

Historic England, Historic England Archive (Index). SDO14738.

Object Number Object Title Scope And Content
8510/45/205 OBLIQUE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH ALSO ROMAN HILLFORT
8510/46/42 OBLIQUE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH ALSO ROMAN HILLFORT
8510/51/47 OBLIQUE AERIAL PHOTGRAPH ALSO ROMAN HILLFORT
881745 RCHME: Hod Hill Iron Age Hillfort, Dorset. Plan of hillfort with contours given.
881755 RCHME: Hod Hill, The Roman Fort, Dorset. Plan of building layout with required scale adjustments added.
881767 RCHME: Hod Hill, Steepleton Gate, Dorset. Portion of fort ramparts with areas marked A - D.
881771 RCHME: Hod Hill, Steepleton Gate, Dorset. Faded working drawing, plan of earthworks.
881777 RCHME: Hod Hill, East Gate, Dorset. Plan of earthworks with later amendments.
881793 RCHME: Hod Hill, Hanford Gate, Dorset. Annotated plan of earthwork gate area.
881798 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Three profiles marked A-B, C-D, E-F.
881802 RCHME: Hod Hill, West Gate, Dorset. 3 profiles marked A-B, C-D, E-F
881808 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Document sized, two profiles, A-B, C-D.
881811 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Section A-B
881816 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Three profiles, relating to earthworks in the region of Steepleton Gate.
881819 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Two profiles marked N-O, P-Q.
881824 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Three annotated profiles with heights and angles given.
881872 RCHME: Earthworks on Hod and Hambledon Hill, Dorset
Covers the parishes of Stourpaine, Iwerne Courtney and Hanford.Bibliographic References : 1) The Hambledon/Hod complex.2) Pt 1 for Hambledon, pt 2 for Hod.
883033 RCHME: Hod Hill, Remains of Settlement in the Unploughed Area, Dorset. Annotated plan showing earthworks with original stick-down annotations.
883107 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Untitled working drawing with annotations.
883156 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Untitled, annotated working drawing.
883254 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Rough working drawing with annnotations.
883264 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Untitled plan with annotations
883267 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Supplemental working drawing with annotations.
883273 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Untitled working drawing with features numbered 80, 81.
883276 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Untitled plan with annotations and features marked 60, 60a.
883375 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Untitled plan featuring enclosure numbered 70.
883378 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Faded plan showing edge of quarry pit.
883386 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Untitled plan showing numbered enclosures.
883396 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Untitled plan.
883399 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Untitled pencil plan showing earthworks.
883420 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Plan of earthworks.
883598 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Untitled plan.
883601 RCHME: Hod Hill, Dorset. Plan of earthworks.
883985 RCHME: Hod Hill, Earthworks, Dorset. Faded plan with annotations.
883991 RCHME: Hod Hill, Earthworks, Dorset. Narrow strip of paper with fading plan .
883999 RCHME: Hod Hill, Earthworks, Dorset. Pencil plan showing earthworks.
884003 RCHME: Hod Hill, Earthworks, Dorset. Faded pencil plan showing earthworks.
884010 RCHME: Hod Hill, Earthworks, Dorset
884015 RCHME: Hod Hill, Earthworks, Dorset. Annotated plan.
884021 RCHME: Hod Hill, Earthworks, Dorset
884032 RCHME: Hod Hill, Earthworks and Land Use, Dorset
884057 RCHME: Hod Hill, Earthworks, Dorset. Plan with area sectioned off. Inscription: Box D 1B
884100 RCHME: Hod Hill, Earthworks, Dorset. Detailed, well annotated plan in bold pencil. Inscription: Box D2A
884127 RCHME: Hod Hill, Earthworks, Dorset. Inscription: Box D1A
884137 RCHME: Hod Hill, Earthworks, Dorset. Plan with inset detail. Inscription: Box DB2
BB71/00100 PLAN OF IA SETTLEMENT IN SOUTH-EAST CORNER OF HILLFORT
BB71/03488 PLAN OF ROMAN FORT, AFTER I.A.RICHMOND
BB72/03323 PLAN OF IA HILLFORT AND ROMAN FORT
BB72/03324 PLAN SHOWING REMAINS OF SETTLEMENT IN UNPLOUGHED AREA OF SITE
BB76/05105 STEEPLETON GATE - EARLY STAGE, NORTH SIDE
BB76/05106 SOUTH HUT, FILLING OF HUT DITCH
BB76/05107 JUNCTION OF NORTH COMPOUND PALISADE AND NORTH HUT DITCH
BB76/05109 STEEPLETON GATE - BACK OF RAMPART, NORTH SIDE
BB76/05110 STEEPLETON GATE - BACK OF RAMPART, NORTH SIDE
BB76/05111 STEEPLETON GATE - BACK OF RAMPART, NORTH SIDE
BB76/05112 SOUTH GATE OF ROMAN FORT. EAST SIDE - FRONT POST-HOLES
BB76/05113 NORTH-WEST GATE, NORTH-EATS SIDE
BB76/05114 IA CLAY PIT
BB76/05115 UNIDENTIFIED
BB76/05116 UNIDENTIFIED
BB76/05117 REPAIRS AT THE BARRACK WEST OF THE GRANARY NEAR THE WEST WALL
BB76/05118 UNIDENTIFIED
BB76/05119 STEEPLETON GATE - REVETMENT TRENCH, NORTH SIDE OF GATE
BB76/05120 STEEPLETON GATE - VIEW OF SOUTH REVETMENT OF NORTH INTURN
BB76/05121 NORTH-WEST GATE, EARLY DITCH
BB76/05122 BALLISTARIUM AND ASCENSUS
BB76/05123 ENTRANCE TO OFFICER'S QUARTERS, BARRACK I, SOUTH-WEST QUADRANT
BB76/05124 EXTRA DITCH AT SOUTH-EAST ANGLE
BB76/05125 NORTH-WEST PANORAMA
BB76/05126 BALLISTARIUM AND RAMPART
BB76/05127 IA HUT - BURNT WOOD
BB76/05128 STEEPLETON GATE - BACK OF RAMPART
BB76/05129 STEEPLETON GATE - BACK OF RAMPART, NORTH SIDE OF GATE
BB76/05130 STEEPLETON GATE - FRONT EXTENSION
BB76/05131 STEEPLETON GATE - NORTH-EAST CORNER, FRONT REVETMENT
BB76/05132 NORTH-WEST GATE - REAR POST-HOLE
BB76/05133 IA HILLFORT, NORTH RAMPART
BB76/05134 NORTH-WEST GATE - OUTER POST-HOLE, NORTH-EAST SIDE
BB76/05135 SOUTH GATE OF ROMAN FORT, WEST SIDE
BB76/05136 EVIDENCE OF RE-BUILDING
BB76/05137 SOUTH RAMPART - PIT
BB76/05138 NORTH-WEST GATE, NORTH-EAST SIDE
BB76/05139 IA CLAY PIT
BB76/05140 EAST RANGE - WEST COMMANDANT'S HOUSE
BB76/05141 UNIDENTIFIED
BB76/05142 ROMAN EAST DITCHES, LOOKING NORTH
BB76/05143 LARGER COMMANDANT'S HOUSE - POST-HOLE AT NORTH END
BB76/05144 PRINCIPIA EAST WALL - JUNCTION OF SOUTH COLONNADE
BB76/05145 BACK OF NORTH IA RAMPART
BB76/05146 ENTRANCE TO OFFICER'S QUARTERS, BARRACK I, SOUTH-WEST QUADRANT
BB76/05147 SOUTH GATE OF ROMAN FORT. WEST SIDE, REAR POST-HOLE
BB76/05148 GRANARY POST-HOLES - GENERAL VIEW
BB76/05149 EAST DITCH
BB76/05150 UNIDENTIFIED
BB76/05151 POST-HOLE AT JUNCTION, EAST END OF SOUTH BARRACK, SOUTH-WEST QUADRANT
BB76/05152 SOUTH-EAST ANGLE, DITCH
BB76/05153 PRINCIPIA, EAST FRONT
BB76/05154 IA NORTH RAMPART - POST-HOLES AT INNER EDGE
BB76/05155 EXTRA DITCH, SOUTH-EAST ANGLE
BB76/05156 IA NORTH RAMPART - POST-HOLES AT REAR
BB76/05157 SOUTH GATE
BB76/05158 UNIDENTIFIED
BB76/05159 SOUTH-EAST ANGLE
BB76/05160 SOUTH GATE OF ROMAN FORT
BB76/05161 SOUTH BARRACK, SOUTH-WEST QUADRANT. PIT AT EAST END OFFICER'S QUARTERS
BB76/05162 SOUTH-EAST ANGLE OF ROMAN FORT
BB76/05163 SOUTH GATE, EAST SIDE - REAR POST-HOLE AND PIT
BB76/05164 RUBBISH PIT, BARRACK I, SOUTH-WEST QUADRANT
BB76/05165 FILLING OF BEDDING TRENCH - BARRACK I, SOUTH WALL, SOUTH-WEST QUADRANT
BB76/05166 NORTH-WEST CORNER - PRINCIPIA - NORTH WALL IN SECTION
BB76/05167 LATRINE PIT, HOUSE I, SOUTH-EAST QUADRANT. SECTION OF FILLING
BB76/05168 IA INNER RAMPART - CENTRE VIEW OF INNER HALF - LOOKING NORTH
BB76/05169 IA INNER RAMPART, OUTER TIMBER SLOT, LOOKING SOUTH
BB76/05170 OUTER IA RAMPART, FRONT, LOOKING NORTH
BB76/05171 INNER IA RAMPART, FRONT, LOOKING NORTH
BB76/05172 INNER IA RAMPART - VIEW OF CENTRE OF BACK HALF, LOOKING NORTH
BB76/05173 INNER IA RAMPART, BACK, LOOKING NORTH
BB76/05174 INNER IA RAMPART - VIEW OF CENTRE OF FRONT HALF, LOOKING NORTH
BB76/05175 INNER IA RAMPART - VIEW OF CENTRE OF BACK HALF, LOOKING NORTH
BB76/05176 INNER IA RAMPART - BACK OF SECTION, LOOKING NORTH
BB76/05177 INNER IA RAMPART - CENTRE, LOOKING SOUTH
BB76/05178 INNER IA RAMPART LOOKING SOUTH
BB76/05179 INNER IA RAMPART LOOKING SOUTH
BB76/05180 OUTER IA DITCH LOOKING NORTH-WEST
BB76/05181 SECTION THROUGH IA RAMPART LOOKING WEST
BB76/05225 DITCH PROFILES
BB76/05226 PLAN OF ROMAN FORT IN NORTH-WEST CORNER OF HILLFORT
CC71/00027 PLAN OF IA HILLFORT AND ROMAN FORT
Photographer: UNKNOWNDonor: UNKNOWNCopyright: UNKNOWN
CC72/01368 SOUTH FACE OF INWARD RAMPART NORTH OF STEEPLETON GATE
Photographer: UNKNOWNDonor: UNKNOWNCopyright: UNKNOWN
CC72/01369 SOUTH FACE OF INWARD RAMPART NORTH OF STEEPLETON GATE MIDDLE SECTION
Photographer: UNKNOWNDonor: UNKNOWNCopyright: UNKNOWN
CC72/01370 SOUTH FACE OF INWARD RAMPART N OF STEEPLETON GATE, WEST END
Photographer: UNKNOWNDonor: UNKNOWNCopyright: UNKNOWN
CC72/01371 SOUTH FACE OF INWARD RAMPART N OF STEEPLETON GATE, EAST END
Photographer: UNKNOWNDonor: UNKNOWNCopyright: UNKNOWN
CC72/01372 PLAN OF EARTHWORKS OUTSIDE HANFORD GATE
CC72/01373 PLAN OF SOUTH-WEST GATE AND SURROUNDING EARTHWORKS
CC72/01374 PLAN OF STEEPLETON GATE
CC75/00265 BIRDSEYE VIEW OF HOD HILL AND HAMBLEDON HILL FROM A WATERCOLOUR BY HEYWOOD SUMNER
DD74/00007 PLAN OF IA HILLFORT AND ROMAN FORT - SECTION II, EAST HALF
DD74/00008 PLAN OF IA HILLFORT AND ROMAN FORT - SECTION I, WEST HALF
GRS01 Grimes, W F: Excavation Archive
Excavation archive containing material related to a number of sites in Dorset, including Hod Hill and Maiden Castle Farm, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. Some of the material has been published in Grimes, W.F. "Excavations on Defence Sites 1939-1945" Ministry of Works, Archaeology Report No.3, 1960. Recent additions to the collection (16/11/94) take the form of 5 scrap-books containing newspaper cuttings. Four of the books have cuttings relating to the Temple of Mithras and one has more general information. Separate acquisition of publication related artwork and photography for "Excavations on Defence Sites 1939-1945" Ministry of Works, Archaeology Report No.3, 1960.
P04986 EROSION AT NORTH-WEST ENTRANCE, HANFORD GATE, VIEW SOUTH
P04987 EROSION ON NORTH RAMPART, VIEW SOUTH-EAST
P04988 EROSION ON NORTH RAMPART, VIEW SOUTH-EAST
P04989 EROSION ON NORTH RAMPART, VIEW SOUTH-EAST
P04990 EROSION ON NORTH RAMPART, VIEW SOUTH-EAST
P04991 EROSION ON NORTH SIDE OF STEEPLETON GATE, VIEW SOUTH
P04992 EROSION ON RAMPART IN NORTH-WEST CORNER, VIEW SOUTH-EAST
P04993 EROSION ON NORTH RAMPART, VIEW SOUTH-EAST
P04994 EROSION ON NORTH RAMPART, SOUTH-EAST
P04995 EROSION ON NORTH RAMPART, VIEW SOUTH-EAST
P04996 EROSION ON NORTH RAMPART, VIEW SOUTH-EAST
P04997 EROSION ON NORTH RAMPART, VIEW SOUTH-EAST
P04998 EROSION ON NORTH RAMPART, VIEW SOUTH-EAST
P04999 EROSION ON NORTH RAMPART, VIEW SOUTH-EAST
P11001 EROSION AT NORTH-WEST ENTRANCE, HANFORD GATE, VIEW NORTH
P11002 EROSION ON RAMPART, SOUTH SIDE OF HANFORD GATE, VIEW NE
P11003 EROSION ON SOUTH RAMPART, WEST OF HOME GATE, VIEW NORTH
P11004 EROSION OF EAST RAMPART, NORTH OF ASHFIELD GATE, VIEW NORTH
P11005 PLAN OF ROMAN FORT IN NORTH-WEST CORNER OF HILLFORT AFTER I.A.RICHMOND. Original negative held by: UNKNOWN

National Record of the Historic Environment, 206122 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 25 inch scale map, 1901 (Map). SDO18020.

ST 85651066 Camp (NR) ST 85491080 ROMAN CAMP (R)

Boyd-Dawkins, W, 1900, 'The Exploration of Hod Hill, near Blandford, Dorset, in 1897'; The Archaeological Journal (Article in serial). SDO16985.

Brailsford, J W, 1950, Interim Report on Preliminary Excavations at Hod Hill, 1949; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO14252.

Brailsford, J W, and Richmond, I A, 1952, British Museum Excavations at Hod Hill, Dorset. British Museum Quarterly 17 (3), 49-50 (Article in serial). SDO20448.

Rivet, A L F, and Smith, C, 1979, The Place-Names of Roman Britain, 344 (Monograph). SDO20451.

Campbell, D B, 1984, Ballistaria in first to mid-third century Britain: a reappraisal. Britannia 15, 75-84 (Article in serial). SDO20449.

Manning, W H, 1985, Catalogue of Romano-British Iron Tools, Fittings and Weapons in the British Museum (Monograph). SDO16650.

Maxfield, Valerie A, 1986, Pre-Flavian Forts and their Garrisons. Britannia 17, 60, 65, 66 (Article in serial). SDO20450.

Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1998, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1997, 175 (Serial). SDO12420.

Stewart, D A, 2009, Hod Hill: "Too much wasted by cultivation for definite survey'; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO14259.

Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 08-JAN-62 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<1> Gomme G L (ed ), 1844, Romano-British remains, parts 1 and 2 (Article in serial). SWX9212.

<2> Gomme, G L, 1886, Archaeology: A classified collection of the chief contents of “The Gentleman’s Magazine” from 1731-1868. Volume 2. (Monograph). SDO9822.

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1950, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1949, 41-50 (Serial). SDO49.

<4> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1952, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1951, 105 (Serial). SDO51.

'Excavation of the Early Iron Age camp and Roman fort at Hod Hill, Stourpaine; nat. grid ref. ST(31)/854107.
In September the British Museum’s excavations at Hod Hill, of which a preliminary account was published in Vol. 71 of the Proceedings, were resumed under the direction of Professor I. A. Richmond with the assistance of Mr. J. W. Brailsford and Miss Marion Wilson. A section was begun across the defences of the Iron Age camp, and the Roman fort which occupies its north-west corner was examined. Professor I. A. Richmond, F.S.A., has kindly sent the following report on the preliminary work on the Roman fort:-
“The defences comprise a single rampart, fronted by ditches cut into chalk. The outermost ditch is of Punic type, with almost vertical outer face and gently sloping inner face. This invites the attacker into a field of fore formed by a flat platform some 40 feet broad but makes rapid retreat highly difficult. Inside the platform lie the two inner ditches. The first 6 feet wide and 4½ feet deep, with a narrow channel at the bottom, eighteen inches deep and six inches wide; the second 11 feet wide and 6½ feet deep with steep outer scarp. The rampart is built of layers of turf and chalk resting upon a log corduroy and furnished with a vertical back. The front has collapsed, and details of its original construction have yet to be ascertained.
The east gate (porta praetoria) was revealed as of timber, carried upon uprights as foot square, packed firmly in large pits and disposed so as to form a double portal recessed between a pair of flanking towers. The south portal and tower had been laid out on top of a circular Iron Age hut, walled in wattle-and-daub and surrounded by a drainage ditch. It had been deliberately demolished to make way for the gate.
The late harvest delayed access to the interior of the fort, where, however, it was possible to identify a first row of timber barrack buildings, behind a fifty-foot intervallum to the north of the via praetoria and part of comparable buildings to the south”.
Mrs. Woodman of Sturminster Newton has kindly presented to the D.C.M. two surface finds made by her recently within the area of the Roman fort.
1952.9.1 An uninscribed bronze brooch of Aucissa type (cf. Proc. D.N.H & A.S., 71(1949), p.64, and 72 (1950), p.57).
1952.9.2 An iron ring, external diam., c. 1⅓ ins. The ring is penannular, but this appears to be due to a break and not to design.’

<5> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1952, Journal of Roman Studies XLII, 99 (Serial). SDO14256.

<6> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1953, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1952, 107 (Serial). SDO52.

‘Excavation of the Roman fort at Hod Hill, Stourpaine.
As the results of two seasons work at Hod Hill in 1952 and 1953 the major part of the interior arrangements of the early Roman fort is now clear [Footnote: For 1952 see also Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. XLIII, 1953, pp. 124-5]. The discovery of two varieties of barrack building soon showed that the fort had been designed for a combined unit of cavalry and infantry, and the duality of command was reflected in the provision of separate commandants’ houses for the praefectus equitum and the commander of the infantry detachment. The barrack buildings were laid out in parallel lines in the usual pattern but modified slightly by the conformity of the S.W. angle of the fort with the western rampart of the British oppidum. In addition to these buildings, the Principia or headquarters building has been identified, a granary, and a courtyard building which may prove to be the hospital.
There are indications that some of these buildings, which were constructed of timber, and wattle and daub, had perished by fire. The discovery of weapons lying in the sleeper trenches for the wooden beams, just as if they had been propped against the barrack walls when the conflagration broke out, suggests that this may be the explanation of the large amounts of military equipment found in the area of the fort in the past.
Excavation showed that the south entrance of the fort had a single wooden tower over the gateway passage, instead of a pair of flanking towers as at the east gate (see Proceedings, Vol. 73, p. 105).
No further excavation has been done on the Early Iron Age ‘camp’ as such, and the excavations have not revealed an intensive native occupation of that part of its area occupied subsequently by the Roman fort.’

<7> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1953, Journal of Roman Studies XLIII, 124-5 (Serial). SDO14255.

<8> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1956, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1954, 95-96 (Serial). SDO54.

‘The excavations at Hod Hill in 1954.
Excavation of the interior of the Roman fort in the corner of the Iron Age hillfort was completed in 1954 under the direction of Professor Richmond, the entire system of timber buildings having now been planned in outline and a representative series excavated in detail [Footnote: For a fuller note, on which this account is based, see Journal of Roman Studies, XLV, 1955, p. 141. Earlier notes have appeared in J.R.S., XLII, p. 99, Xliii, pp. 124-5, XLIV, p. 100.]
The N.W. entrance was found to have been a Roman creation, the native rampart having been breached and a single tower of heavy timbers erected over it, of similar plan to the south gate. It was subsequently dismantled. The ballistrarium east of the south gate proved to be a rectangular structure of timber-laced chalk rubble approached by turf ramps from either side, and would have accommodated a large machine; the corresponding platform at the east gate will not be excavated.
In the interior, six rectangular stable blocks, each 194 ft. by 16 ft. were planned in the area north of the Headquarters building, and two were examined in detail. Their siting near the N.W. gateway would have been most convenient for watering. Near the south gate there were a number of sheds, amongst which could be identified the fort latrine, a row of ten compartments with no trace of permanent fittings – tubs or similar receptacles could have been emptied in the river here below the watering place. Water storage was taken care of by the provision of large rectangular chalk-cut cisterns, one of which was excavated and shown to have been lined with boarding packed by puddled clay. It could have held about 1,900 gallons.’

<9> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1955, Journal of Roman Studies XLV, 141 (Serial). SDO14254.

<10> Brailsford, J W, 1962, Hod Hill. Antiquities from Hod Hill in the Durden Collection. Volume 1 (Monograph). SDO14258.

<11> Richmond, I, 1968, Hod Hill. Excavations carried out between 1951 and 1958 for the Trustees of the British Museum (Monograph). SDO14257.

<12> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 265 (Monograph). SDO136.

‘(11) HOD HILL IRON AGE HILL-FORT AND ROMAN FORT (856107). In area the hill-fort is the largest in Dorset, its multiple ramparts enclosing 54 acres. It occupies the domed top of an isolated chalk hill rising to 471 ft. above O.D. at the N.W., where the later Roman fort was built in the angle of the Iron Age earthwork. Except on the S. there are steep slopes on all sides, particularly on the W. where the ground falls abruptly to the R. Stour. The interior of the hill-fort was formerly covered with Iron Age occupation remains, of which some 7½ acres survive in the S.E. quarter (Plate 198 and folding plan in pocket at back of volume); the rest has been destroyed, mostly by cultivation, since the mid 19th century. Ploughing has produced many finds, notably those in the Henry Durden collection in the British Museum (J. W. Brailsford, Hod Hill I, 1962). Sir William Boyd-Dawkins dug earthen circles and pits in 1900 (Arch. J. LVII (1900), 52–68) and Sir Ian Richmond directed excavations for the British Museum from 1951 to 1958. These researches indicated a sequence of defences on the same alignment from a late Iron Age 'A' boxed rampart to the Iron Age 'C' remains which are still seen. The tested occupation remains extend from an Iron Age 'A/B' phase down to the storming of the hill-fort by the Romans in A.D. 44 (I. A. Richmond, Hod Hill II (1968)). … The Roman Fort was built on the highest part of the hill, in an unusual position in the N.W. corner of the Iron Age hill-fort. The early date suggested by the ditch system of 'Punic' type, by the plan, and by resemblance to such forts as Valkenburg in Holland, was confirmed by the finds; these indicate that the fort was built c. 44 A.D. and was evacuated a few years later. The arrangement of the interior implies that it was garrisoned by a legionary detachment of some 600 men (a cohort) and by an auxiliary cavalry unit of about 250 men. After the site had been ploughed up in 1858 and in subsequent years, H. Durden formed the large collection of finds that is now in the British Museum. The fort was tested by excavation in 1897 by Sir T. Baker and it was thoroughly excavated in 1951–1958 by Sir Ian Richmond.
Including the defences the fort covers 11 acres, the interior having an area of 6.86 acres. It was defended on the S. and E. by a rampart of packed chalk 10 ft. wide, revetted at back and front with vertical turf cheeks and probably laced with horizontal timbers; the rampart now survives as a bank 15 ft. wide and 4 ft. high. The Iron Age defences were retained on the N. and W. Triple ditches on the S. and E. were interrupted by causeways, narrowing as they led to the gates in the centres of these sides. The inner pair of ditches lay immediately outside the rampart and returned on either side of the causeways, the innermost ditch returning yet again after a distance of 48 ft. and continuing as the outer ditch. Returns of the second and smaller inner ditch were also made where the ditch-system ran out into the native defences. At the S.E. angle an extra curved length of ditch was interposed between the middle and outer ditches to provide additional defence. A length of ditch and bank (tutulus) was formed beyond the outer end of each causeway as an obstacle to direct entry.
Of the three gates, that to the E. was the porta praetoria, with twin passageways 10 ft. wide flanked by towers 10 ft. wide and 20 ft. deep; that to the S. was the porta principalis dextra, with a single passage covered by a tower; that to the N.W. was similarly planned, and was cut through the Iron Age rampart and approached by a causeway across the Iron Age ditch. The anomalous position of the N.W. gate was presumably dictated by the location of the water-supply. Six post-holes for a tower 30 ft. wide, with angled front, were found at the S.E. corner. The E. and S. gates were flanked, to N. and E. respectively, by ballista-platforms attached to the back of the rampart.
Before the ploughing of 1858, lines of structures and roads were seen as earthworks, but by 1951 only the roads could be discerned. The buildings were separated from the rampart by an intervallum 50 ft. wide and lay in three groups, divided by the E.-W. via praetoria and by the N.-S. via principalis; they were constructed of timber framing and wattle-and-daub and their plans are indicated by post-holes and trenches for sleeper-beams. A fire destroyed the buildings near the S. gate, but even before that occurrence some buildings had required partial renewal, probably in consequence of green timber decaying.
The simple headquarters building was in the W. half of the fort, and to the W. of it stood the house of the centurion in command of the legionaries; both buildings had internal courts surrounded by porticoes. To the S. of these buildings were six legionaries' barracks of semi-permanent design, and store sheds; to the N. were six stables for the mounted section of the garrison. The cavalry barracks lay in the E. half of the fort, or praetentura; they comprised two buildings to the S. of the via praetoria, associated with a hospital, store buildings, a granary and latrines, and buildings to the N., associated with the large house of the praefectus equitum. A compound to the N.E. enclosed a timberlined water tank with a capacity of 1,500 gallons; it was constructed in the quarry ditch of the N. rampart.
Finds from the excavations and from the 19th-century ploughing included legionary and cavalry equipment. That the occupation was intentionally of short duration is shown by the semipermanent character of the barrack plans, by the sparse yield of pottery (exclusively Claudian) and by the early Claudian character of the coin list. Excavations in other parts of the hillfort showed that Iron Age huts had been destroyed by the Romans, and that part of the area was probably used as a parade ground. Three coins of Trajan and a little late 3rd or early 4th-century pottery from inside the hill-fort indicate a later, non-military occupation of a minor nature. Most of the finds are in the B.M. but some are in the D.C.M. and others are in the Pitt-Rivers Museum at Farnham. (Arch. J. LVII (1900), 52–68; Brailsford, Hod Hill I (1962); Richmond, Hod Hill II (1968)).’

Record last edited

Jan 14 2024 8:35AM