Ham Hill: Hamdon Hill Camp: Montacute

• Stoke-sub-Hamden, Somerset.
• OSGB – ST 48296 16427
• Scheduled Monument.

Iron Age multivallate hill fort, rectangular Roman fort covering 210 acres defended by two banks and ditches. The bank measuring 6.5 ft high and the ditch measuring 8.2-11.4 ft wide. Two banks and ditches to the north with the outer bank measuring approximately 39.3 ft above the bottom of the ditch and 14.7 ft internally. The original entrance may have been in the south east corner and a possible second entrance in the north east corner. Additional fortifications lie to the south west and north east.

Minor road cuts through the south east corner.

Roman villa at the eastern end of the fort.

Quarrying carried out mainly on the western side.

Finds include Iron Age cremation burial, iron dagger, tinned bronze dagger sheath stone cist infant burial, chariot parts, currency bars and Durotriges coins. Roman coins and military equipment.

World War I and II War Memorial on site.

6^th C  BC                    Dating from: Pottery finds.

43                                c: May have been a tribal centre.

47                                c: Roman fort was occupied.

81                                Dating From: Domitian coins found.

260                              c Dating from: Hoard found in 1882 dating from.

3^rd C                            Mid: Dating from: Hoard of coins found in the area.

306                              Dating from: Constantine coins found.

1248                            Warren established by the Beauchamp family.

1615                            Fair held on the site.

1767                            Market held on the site.

1861                            Fair held on the site.

1866                            Possible war cemetery in the north west corner. Fair held on the site.

1872                            Fair held on the site.

1882                            Hoard of approximately 1000 Roman coins found.

1897                            Stock fair held on the site.

19^th C                          Quarry on site.

1923-1929                  Excavated.

1924                            Coins dating from the Roman period found on the site.

1939-1945                  World War II: Observation post consisting of two rooms and a underground shelter.

1950                            Excavated.

1967                            Romano-British pottery sherds found.

1975                            L-shaped ditch discovered and military finds. Some quarrying on the site.

1975-1976                  Watching Brief.

1983                            Excavated. Pits and postholes located.

1984-1985                  Evaluated.

1987                            Two bronze scales from ‘lorica squamata’ found.

1989                            Aerial photograph.

1990                            Aerial photograph.

1992                            Watching Brief.

1992                            Geophysical Survey.

1992                            Geophysical Survey.

1993                            Geophysical Survey.

1994                            Geophysical Survey.

1994                            Excavated.

1995                            World War II observation post demolished.

1995                            Aerial photograph.

1998                            Watching Brief.

1998                            Excavated.

1999                            Watching Brief.

2001                            Watching Brief.

2001                            Geophysical Survey. Rectangular enclosure found within site.

2002                            Watching Brief.