Monument record 1007/2 - Helsby Hillfort, 250m NW of Harmers Lake Farm

<1a> English Heritage, Various, Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Amendment), 25689 (Scheduling Record). SCH2950.

Helsby Hillfort is situated at the north end of the Cheshire Sandstone Ridge immediately to the east of Helsby village. It is a bivallate hillfort bounded to the south and east by two parallel ramparts and an unusual type of inturned entrance approximately 10m wide. Like many of the hillforts along the Ridge, it was constructed to make best use of the steep cliffs to the north and west. The area below the subsidiary rock cliff between it and the main rock face forms part of the enclosed area and is marked off by banks at the southern and eastern ends. That at the southern end is much disturbed but was placed to allow free access to the entrance above whilst that at the eastern end runs directly up to the northern end of the main inner rampart. Only about one-half the length of the inner rampart is well preserved, the rest is ploughed out. The remainder of the inner rampart is fairly clear on the ground and before the war was the best preserved part, whilst the site of the outer rampart is barely distinguishable but shows clearly as a band of sand and rubble and there is evidence of modern breaks in the rampart line. The main enclosure is approximately 1.9ha.

Helsby is one of a small group of forts in central Cheshire and despite extensive plough damage on the surface there is a good potential for surviving below ground features across the hillfort. (also see 1b).

<1b> English Heritage, Various, Scheduled Monument Consent Letter (Written Communication). SCH2963.

<2> Bu'lock J D, 1956, The Hill-fort at Helsby, Cheshire (Article in Journal). SCH7293.

Recorded on Ordnance Survey maps from at least the 19th century, the site was first excavated in 1955 by J.D. Bu’lock who cut a single trench approximately 1m wide and 10m in length across the rampart to the north of the hillfort in an area where part of the dry stone walling of the original rampart was already visible above ground. The excavations revealed the front section of the rampart wall along its original line indicating it was comprised of the box variety with a central core of rocks, rubble and sand. The dry stone walling is comprised of sandstone blocks approximately 0.90m wide. At its base the rampart was 2.7m thick and at least 2m high at the front. At the rear of the rampart but contemporary with it, at its innermost end was a thick layer of burnt sand and a scatter of burnt charcoal and pebbles believed to be pot boilers. A series of silting events were also recorded at the site that suggested a period of use for the hillfort from the mid Bronze Age to the Roman period.

<3> Oxford Archaeology North, 2008, Habitats and Hillforts of the Cheshire sandstone Ridge: Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment, R2893 (Client Report). SCH5259.

A second excavation was carried out in 1964 by Forde-Johnston, however the site has never been published with the excavation archive stored at the NMR. Two trenches were excavated to the south-west of the hillfort at the location of the possible entrance and along the inner rampart.

<4> Forde-Johnston J, 1962, The Iron Age Hillforts of Lancashire and Cheshire, p.15-17 (Article in Journal). SCH6913.

<5> Capstick B, 1981-1987, Field Monument Warden Report, Capstick B 1986 51 (Unpublished Report). SCH1222.

<6> Cheshire County Council, 1977, Field Observation Notes from Helsby Iron Age hillfort in 1977 (Unpublished Report). SCH7281.

The site has since been surveyed on a number of occasions since its inclusion on the Schedule; first by Forde-Johnston in the 1960s who provided the first detailed plan of Helsby since the Ordnance Survey (4). At the same time it was surveyed by English Heritage in 1959 when they recorded an outer ditch was visible as a 4.5m wide cropmark and a possible entrance on the eastern side, and again in 1964 and 1976 (5), and in 1977 by Ferguson.

<7> University of Manchester, 1997, Draft report on survey of Helsby Iron Age hillfort, 1997 (Unpublished Report). SCH7278.

<8> Edwards B., 2009, Topographic and Geophysical survey of Helsby Promontory fort, Cheshire (Client Report). SCH7317.

More recently the site was subject to a geophysical survey in 1996 primarily along the southern outer rampart identifying traces of the possible outer ditch noted in 1959. (7) A second geophysical investigation was carried out in 2009 alongside the Habitats and Hillforts Project.

<9> Cheshire West and Chester Historic Environment Service, 2011, Report on an archaeological evaluation at Helsby Hillfort, R3555 (Report). SCH7283.

In 2009 a new project to study the hillforts of Cheshire included a new excavation of Helsby over the locations of the excavations in 1955 and 1964. The excavations proved significant, revealing evidence of activity in the area prior to the construction of the hillfort (CHER 1007/1). Trench 2 revealed a buried soil (222) containing fossilised pollen dating to the late Mesolithic to early Neolithic. This was followed by a burning episode (214) dating to the early Neolithic suggestive of occupation or woodland clearance in the area.

The investigations have enabled a re-interpretation of the known evidence for the hillfort at Helsby including its date and construction. Three phases of activity were identified beginning with the primary stone rampart constructed by the mid to late Bronze Age (1250-1050 cal BC). This phase of construction consisted of a bank of sandstone blocks with a well-dressed outer face and an irregular inner face, which was built on a slight batter; it was approximately 3.5m wide. A subsidiary rampart excavated on the north side of the site was constructed in the stone box style rampart with dry stone revetments to the front and rear and a rubble core.

This was followed by a series of colloviul deposits against the internal face of the stone rampart that formed the second phase of activity. Evidence for activity from the interior of the hillfort remains limited, however, charred cereal grain recovered from several post holes suggest that it was used for corn storage or processing in the late Iron Age (210-90 cal BC)

The final phase was the re-building of the rampart in the sub-Roman period, perhaps as late of 530 AD suggesting early Saxon re-occupation of the hillfort.

<10> Oxford Archaeology North, 2007, Habitats and Hillforts of the Cheshire Sandstone Ridge, Cheshire: Archaeological Condition Survey, R2894 (Client Report). SCH5260.

<11> Earthworks Archaeological Services, 2012, Access Improvement and Erosion Control Works at Helsby Hillfort, Helsby, Cheshire: an Archaeological Watching Brief, R3313 (Client Report). SCH6767.

<12> Archaeological Services WYAS, 2012, Helsby hillfort, Helsby, Cheshire Archaeological Survey and Investigation, R3562 (Client Report). SCH7316.

<13> Higham N J, 1984-9, Professor Nick Higham's Aerial Photographs, NJH 3491/41- 43; 3492/20-28; 3493/22- 26 (Aerial Photograph). SCH7659.

<14> Longley D, 1979, Prehistoric Sites in Cheshire, p37-38 (Report). SCH2719.

<15> Forde-Johnston J, 1976, Hillforts of the Iron Age in England & Wales, p139 (Book). SCH1347.

<16> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, p106, 113-4 (Book). SCH3556.

<17> Varley, W. J. & Jackson, J. W., 1940, Prehistoric Cheshire, p69 & Schd.VI (Book). SCH2692.

<18> Challis A.J. & Harding D.W., 1975, Later Prehistory from the Trent to the Tyne: Catalogue and illustrations., p45 (Monograph). SCH7282.

<19> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ47NE4 1979 (Index). SCH2487.

<20> Longley D, 1977-1978, Longley Archive, /no.367 (Paper Archive). SCH2005.

Promontary fort of box construction. Rampart severely ploughed out in places. Small excavation by Bullock in 1950's - no finds.
A field visit in 1977 records that the outer rampart on the south is under plough, and on the east in a field under grass, however, probably has been ploughed in the past. Only one bank and ditch was identified on this visit.

<21> Williams SR, 1970s-1980s, Rhys Williams' Aerial Photographs, SRW Helsby 1,2 & 4 (Aerial Photograph). SCH4607.

<22> Cambridge University, Various, Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photography (CUCAP), TJ 24+25 (Aerial Photograph). SCH7942.

<23> Garner, Dan and others, 2016, Hillforts of the Cheshire Ridge, p.113-138 (Book). SCH8403.

Archaeological excavation in 2010 of previous excavation trenches to cause minimal disturbance to surviving archaeological deposits. Excavation has served to increase our knowledge of the form, character and level of archaeological preservation at Helsby Hillfort. This has identified the monument as a very rare, early type of hilltop enclosure, which owes it origins to the Middle Bronze Age rather than the previously suspected Iron Age. The hillfort interior has no above ground features to consider; however, sub surface structures in the form of postholes have been identified within both excavation trenches. Sampling has demonstrated that within the confines of the excavation, artefact and ecofact recovery has been very low with only hardy materials such as stone tools and charred plant remains being identified from the prehistoric period. The colluvial deposits (a mixure of wind-blown and hill-washed agents), which have accumulated on the flank of the rampart, are a valuable archaeological resource and serve to make Helsby a unique site amongst the Cheshire Hillfort group.

Previously, little was known about the landscape of Helsby prior to the construction of the hillfort beyond stray finds of a Neolithic polished stone axe and a leaf-shaped arrowhead. Evidence recovered from trench 2 has identified an ancient buried soil containg fossilised pollen which has enabled recreation of the vegetation that prevailed in the late mesolithic/early Neolithic period. This suggests a landscape dominated by oak, lime and hazel forest; the lack of open ground indicators suggesting complete forest cover. There is also later evidence for a series of burning episodes in the area of Trench 2 which were sealed by a sterile sand layer that has been dated to the early Neolithic (3950-3780 cal BC); these burning episodes are either localised evidence for occupation or an indicator or woodland clearance on the hilltop.

<24> Higham N J, 1984-9, Professor Nick Higham's Aerial Photographs, 1986/5/20, 22, 26 & 28 & 1986/6/24, 26, 28 (Aerial Photograph). SCH7659.