Village Settlement on brow of the hill east of Jenny's Lantern. 'A 'village' site of much complexity and considerable interest. Unrecorded so far as I know. Hut circles, walls and enclosures in abundance. In very poor condition'. (Area centred NU 12131526). (1)
On the brow of the hill south of the tower (Jenny's Lantern) are traces of a village settlement with enclosures of various shapes, each containing a hut circle, all along the edge of the ridge. A stone rampart has enclosed the whole settlement and a trackway comes up to it from each end with traces of a hut circle beside it (the trackway). Between this track and the road gateway there has been a roughly circular enclosure of stones c.24 yds in diameter. (2)(3)
Centred NU12011521. Enclosures and hut circles situated on the brow of a hill facing south east and forming a small village site. There are four enclosures of varying shapes and sizes and 12 hut circles of diameter 6m to 9m. The walling of the enclosures, made of earth and stones and of a rough nature, average 1.5m in width and 1m in average height. The hut circles are marked by a circle of stones and earth; one is a double walled hut circle (at NU12051523) and another has an upright of the entrance still standing.
The rectangular earthwork at the southern end of the site is considered to be a modern enclosure. Its banks are sharply defined and have a sharp ditch on their exterior sides. (4)
Listed under Romano-British enclosed Romano-British stone-built settlements. (5)
With the exception of the rectangular enclosure at the south west end of the complex, which appears to have been re-used, the remains are generally in poor condition. Five other enclosures of varying shapes and sizes can be identified, together with 15 stone-founded hut circles. The whole forms a typical native settlement. Surveyed at 1:2500. (6)
NU120152: The Romano-British settlement and 'field system' at Jenny's Lantern was surveyed at 1:1250. (7)
Romano-British settlement lies immediately east of fort (NU 11 NW 21). Non-defensive, comprising a number of conjoined enclosures, partly robbed. At least ten stone huts visible when bracken cover is down. (8)
Emergence of circular stone houses to replace timber huts was marked development during Roman period. Settlements usually occur in compact groups in enclosures. Occasionally these settlements occur in the vicinity of abandoned hillforts, ie Jenny's Lantern, indicating non-defensive nature. (9)
Jenny's Lantern, close proximity of non-defensive walled settlement and abandoned hillfort. No physical contact between them. Probably demonstrates phenomenon of taking advantage of protection afforded by lee slopes. (10)
Field system at Jenny's Lantern (NU 120152), photographed from the air in 1981. (11)(12)
Part of the northern group of hut circles c.NU 12081528, have been damaged very recently by a heavy vehicle, stones have been removed and turf lifted. (13)
Romano-British settlement and field system 100m south and east of Jenny's Lantern. Scheduling revised on 22nd November 1994, new national monument number 21049.
The monument includes the remains of a defended settlement of Iron Age date [NU 11 NW 21] and a stone-built settlement with part of its field system of Romano-British date, occupying an area of high ground with a southerly aspect.
Immediately east of the defended settlement, situated on the brow of the hill, there is an extensive Romano-British settlement and part of its field system. The settlement comprises seven irregular embanked enclosures and the remains of up to 15 stone-founded houses. Beginning at the eastern end of the settlement there are two conjoining curvilinear enclosures. The most easterly is 25m by 40m internally containing the remains of four stone houses ranging in size from 5m to 10m in diameter with a sub-circular scooped yard, 18m in diameter, at the rear. All of the houses have a clearly visible entrance in the south or south-east side. The second enclosure measures 36m by 50m internally with an entrance in the south wall; it contains the remains of four circular houses 8m to 11m in diameter situated towards the southern end of the enclosure. Immediately to the south there is a third enclosure; it is rectangular and defined by a bank 3m wide and a sharply cut external ditch. This enclosure is clearly a later construction as its northern bank has been built on the south wall of the first enclosure. Further south, immediately on the edge of a crag, lies the fourth enclosure, curvilinear in shape and measuring 16m by 18m, with an entrance in its north wall allowing access to it from the rest of the settlement. Some 18m east of this enclosure there is a fifth enclosure, rectangular in shape, measuring 35m by 20m and containing a rectangular yard along its south wall which is fronted by the remains of three stone houses 8m-9m in diameter. The sixth enclosure is situated 15m north-east of this. It is also rectangular in shape, measures 32m by 16m internally and contains the remains of four stone houses, on average 7m in diameter. This enclosure has been partially levelled but there are still sufficient archaeological remains to allow the reconstruction of its layout. An outlying hut circle, 8m in diameter and immediately to the south-east, is attached to a fragment of stone walling.
Surrounding the settlement on the south and east sides there are the remains of several of the fields cleared and worked by the inhabitants of the settlement. This field system contains three irregular, rectangular fields defined by long boundaries of rubble or boulders orientated north-south along the line of maximum slope. They are bounded on the north by short cross walls and on the south by a natural steep slope. The fields range in size from 0.24ha to 1.3ha but one is not completely enclosed. South of the most easterly field there is a seventh enclosure, curvilinear in shape, which measures 23m by 12m. It contains one hut circle 5m across in the south-west corner, and there are traces of a small enclosure in the north-east corner.
The settlement and its field system are extensive and particularly fine examples of their types. Taken together, the Iron Age [NU 11 NW 21] and Romano-British settlements provide an insight into developing patterns of settlement and land use through time. They are extremely well preserved and will contribute to our knowledge and understanding of prehistoric and Romano-British settlement and agriculture. The importance of the Romano-British settlement is enhanced by the survival of part of its field system. Such survivals are rare and this very well preserved example is a valuable addition to their number. (14)
Settlement visible on infra-red imagery. (15)