Hammer Wood Hillfort, Sussex
Hammer Wood Camp/Hillfort
Multivallate hillslope fort situated on a SW-sloping greensand spur overlooking the River Rother c. 1.2km to S, with Hammer Stream and Hammer Pond on SE-NW quadrants.
Found on aerial photographs by Ordnance Survey 1956. Steep surrounding slopes, less along spur to NE. Roughly rectangular encloses spur and aligned SE-NW with area c. 4ha.
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- Hammer Wood Camp/Hillfort elevation map – generated in planlauf/TERRAIN
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- Hammer Wood Camp/Hillfort contour map – generated in planlauf/TERRAIN
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- Hammer Wood Camp/Hillfort contour map – generated in planlauf/TERRAIN
Best ramparts on the gentler sloping neck of spur on NE where two parallel banks to 11m wide, flanked by outer ditches. Part excavation (Boyden 1957) showed earthen and rubble rampart construction revetted with locally extracted ironstone slabs.
Also hearths associated with early Iron Age pottery. Six charcoal burning platforms visible in and on site. Rest of ramparts smaller scale, with steeply-sided NW and SE edges of spur enclosed mostly by single bank and ditch.
To SW spur-edge rampart augmented by parallel, outer bank and ditch constructed c. 15m downslope. Ramparts disturbed in places by subsequent construction and use of more recent tracks and paths. Single entrance in the middle of N side and distinctly offset. On OS 1:25,000 map (1958).
Information from the Atlas of Hillforts.
