Monument record MHG22673 - Bivallate enclosure, Charlestown

NH64NW 80 642 485
NH 642 485 Cropmark of circular bivallate enclosure c 18m in diameter. Situated 25m NW of end of Bellfield Road, Charlestown. Circular cropmark c 10m diameter, located c 200m E of above feature.
J S Bone 1996 <1>

GR corrected to above. NB the enclosure lies on W side of field - there are a number of other cropmark features over broader areas of the field - check. <2>

Aerial photograph rectification was carried out prior to trial excavations that took place in 2008. The cropmark was relocated some way to the north and found to be oval on plan. Two trenches were positioned across the location of the feature and these contained a total of 25 negative features, including two shallow curvilinear features containing charcoal and burnt bone and a large sub-circular pit with evidence for burning. Other very truncated features were present to the north of the enclosure. None of the excavated features could be directly related to the identified cropmark, suggesting that the strength of the cropmark is an indicator of poor preservation due to plough truncation. The features are, however, presumed to be prehistoric in date, possibly Iron Age. <3>