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Humbleton Hill is a hill in Northumberland, England, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Wooler.

Humbleton Hill

Viewed from the east
Shown within Northumberland
Location	near Wooler
Coordinates	55°32′53″N 2°3′14″W
OS grid reference	NT 967 283
Altitude	298 m (978 ft)
Type	Hillfort
History
Periods	Neolithic Iron Age
Scheduled monument
Designated	24 September 1934
Reference no.	1016714

It is the location of the Battle of Homildon Hill of 1402, between English and Scottish armies.[1] There is an archaeological site on the summit, with remains of an enclosed settlement of the Neolithic Age and a later Iron Age hillfort. It is a scheduled monument.[2]

Description

The hill is part of the Cheviot Hills. Its height is 298 metres (978 ft), with a prominence of 62 metres (203 ft).[3]

Prehistory

There are remains of a hillfort of the Iron Age, within an earlier enclosure thought to be of the Neolithic or Bronze Age. The earlier enclosure has an irregular shape and measures up to 290 metres (950 ft) west to east and 210 metres (690 ft) north to south. It is defined by a low bank of earth and stone; on the south side a steep ravine adds to the defence. At the south-west corner, large stones set on edge probably mark the original entrance, 4 metres (13 ft) wide.[2]

The more massive inner enclosure, dating from the Iron Age, measures 110 metres (360 ft) both north to south and west to east. A stone bank about 10 metres (33 ft) wide is the remains of the rampart; there is a second rampart on the east side, now a bank of loose stones 9.5 metres (31 ft) wide. On the south side the edge of the ravine provides the defence, and there is no rampart. The entrance is on the south-east, 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) wide, marked by boulders.[2]

There are traces of 20 roundhouses, diameter 4 to 8 metres (13 to 26 ft), within the inner rampart, and about 8 roundhouses between the ramparts. There are remains of some small enclosures, thought to be medieval shielings or livestock pens, set against the hillfort enclosure and the outer bank.[2]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Humbleton Hill.

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