Credenhill

Credenhill, hill-fort 4½ miles NW of Hereford, ½ mile N of Credenhill and A48. Finds in Hereford Museum. The defences of this very large hillfort follow the 600 ft. contour and enclose nearly 50 acres. They comprise a bank and ditch with a slight counterscarp bank. There are traces of a quarry-ditch inside the main rampart around most of the circuit. Original in-turned entrances are at the centre of the E side and at the SE corner, each approached by a hollow way cut deeply into the hillside. Trial excavation has shown that the internal quarry-ditch is 5-10 ft. deep. Its gradual in-filling was found to include various occupation layers associated with rectangular wooden buildings with 4 corner posts, measuring c. 12 x 8 ft., which had been rebuilt several times in the same place. there were also storage pits and other remains of occupation including pottery with stamped and incised patterns typical of the West Midland Iron Age. Date, c. 400 BC; occupied continuously until c. AD 75