SECTION AT B A. 

 bCALI OP rccT 



D «fO tpO fO 



ANCIENT EARTHWORKS 



of water-worn boulders, with a ditch on the north and south sides, and 



a small stream on the east. The site falls quickly towards the south, 



being on the north slope of the narrow valley down which runs 



the Harthope Burn, the southern rampart of the enclosure 



being some 120 yards from the burn. The whole area is 



overgrown with gorse and brushwood, but the rampart 



remains to some height at all points except the north-west 



angle. The boulders are heaped together and lie at a natural 



angle, the rampart being in places 33 feet wide from inside 



to outside, and varying in height from 18 feet above the 



bottom of the ditch on the south to between 4 feet and 5 feet 



on the north and west. Near the south-east angle are to be 



seen in several places parts of a dry wall of small thin stones r,, -- 



... ^ ^ ^ ,-', rill ^""^ ''ASTLES, 



which appears to form a core to the heap of boulders, but may North Bfdburn. 

 be a later addition. On the east side, towards the small stream 

 before mentioned, there is a secondary outer rampart of stones, and the further 

 bank of the stream is in places faced with rough stones. This is particularly 

 noticeable at the north-east angle, where the bank is some 10 feet high. 

 The ditch outside the south rampart is 30 feet wide from bank to bank, 

 but in its present condition is too shallow to be of any defensive value. 

 Those on the north and west are insignificant. The position is not a 

 strong one, being completely commanded by the rising ground to the north, 

 but is well supplied with water and sheltered from the north and east. 



Though of the form classified as C in the Scheme already referred to, 

 this interesting earthwork is included here as it is clear, upon examination, 

 that its shape is, to some extent, incident to the position it occupies, and, were 

 chronological order considered, its antiquity would entitle it to this early 

 mention. 



Harperly. Faint traces exist indicative of early defensive works 

 of class B. 



Heighington : Shackerton Hill, near Redworth. Maclauchlan 



mentions this, quoting various names by which 

 o'l /' Vr ,',;;; . the hill is known, and gives a small plan.' 



t _ ... .0. ''^ f})^^^^^l'///r^^.j , The 25-mch Ordnance Survey map shows no 

 i^%$5^%f/^.";4//t- ": existing earthworks, but they are traceable 

 ll?^?4- % ^y'-- throughout the greater part, though much 

 -'^''■-'^'■'•■''■*' <i. 'S^ -1- obscured by the growth of timber and from 



mutilated to 



h once stood 



have been 



-century owner. 



'^'"^'^^ Hutchinson speaks of it thus: — 'A remarkable 



Shackerton Hill, Heighington. mOUnt, called Shackleton, on which Crosier 



Surtees, Esq., has built a pleasure house. It 

 is wound round with three distinct terraces, and is thought to be the remains 

 of a Danish fort. . . . Mr. Surtees has planted the ground, and otherwise 

 altered it in form, so that the dimensions could not be accurately obtained on 

 our view." As to its attribution to the Danes, Maclauchlan is probably 



1 Maclauchlan, Surv. of the IVatHng Street, 1852. ' Hutchinson, Hist, and Antij. of Durham, 1794. 



349 



KETCH 

 SCCTION 



