Carl Wark
Encyclopedia
Carl Wark is a rocky promontory
on Hathersage Moor in the Peak District National Park, just inside the boundary of Sheffield
, England. The promontory is faced by vertical cliffs on all but one side, which is protected by a prehistoric embankment. The cliffs and embankment form an enclosure that has been interpreted as an iron age
hill fort
, though the date of construction and purpose of the fortifications remains unknown. The site is a scheduled monument.
is about 3 kilometres (1.86 mi) to the west; Sheffield City Centre
about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) to the north-east. Historically this was within the ancient county of Derbyshire
, but the surrounding area was annexed to the City of Sheffield in 1933, and now lies in the ceremonial county
of South Yorkshire
.
The promontory is a Millstone Grit
outcrop
situated in Hathersage Moor. From the north it is overlooked by the higher 434 metres (1,424 ft) peak of Higger Tor
. To the east is the valley of the Burbage Brook
, which is overlooked by Burbage Edge, a Millstone Grit escarpment
. The land gently slopes away to the south following the course of Burbage Brook into the valley of the River Derwent
. To the south-west, the land rises towards Winyards Nick and Over Owler Tor.
bank that is lined on its outer face with gritstone blocks. Within the southern wall, about 10 metres (32.8 ft) from the western rampart there is a 2 metres (6.6 ft) wide entrance. This entrance is a curved passage through the rock face with 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) walls on either side.
At the south end of the rampart there are the remains of a shelter, possibly a shieling
, built using stones from the rampart. Around the base of the cliff at the eastern end of the promontory there is evidence of millstone production, probably dating from the 16th or 17th centuries.
of Iron Age
origin, perhaps dating from the 8th to the 5th centuries BC, though a similar enclosure at Gardom's Edge
has been dated to the late Bronze Age
, between 1300 and 900 BC. There is no evidence of settlement within the enclosure so it is unlikely that the site was used for a continuously occupied fort; it may have been used as a place of refuge for a population living in the surrounding area or it may have had some ceremonial purpose.
Antiquarian
Hayman Rooke
, writing in 1785, gave one of the earliest descriptions of the structure. He thought that it was built by the British celtic peoples
, and surmised that "it is natural to imagine, from the many sacred erections, that this place must have been intended for holy uses, or a court of justice". In 1861 historian John Gardner Wilkinson
wrote that the site "bears the marked characteristics of an ancient British [Iron Age] fort", whilst antiquarian and barrow-digger Thomas Bateman
stated that he thought the encampment had been set up as a defence against Constantine the Great during the Roman rule of Britain
. Isaac Chalkley Gould also dismissed Rooke's idea that the enclosure had a sacred use, writing that it may have been used as a temporary fortified camp or refuge. Following a limited excavation of the turf embankment by Frank Gerald Simpson in 1950, Cecily Margaret Piggott (the wife of Stuart Piggott
) concluded that the rampart was constructed in the Early Middle Ages
possibly in the 5th or 6th centuries as it is similar in construction techniques to some ramparts of this period in Scotland. More recent assessments suggest that the site may have been in use since the Neolithic
period, perhaps with multiple uses and phases of construction.
The origin of the name Carl Wark is unknown. Rooke used the name "Cair's Work" in his 1785 description, whereas Bateman used "Carleswark". Sheffield historian and folklorist S. O. Addy
, writing in 1893, posited that the name is Old Norse
in origin, meaning 'The Old Man's Fort', where the 'Old Man' refers to the devil—suggesting that the 9th to 10th century Danish settlers
in the area regarded the enclosure as ancient and mysterious.
Promontory
Promontory may refer to:*Promontory, a prominent mass of land which overlooks lower lying land or a body of water*Promontory, Utah, the location where the United States first Transcontinental Railroad was completed...
on Hathersage Moor in the Peak District National Park, just inside the boundary of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England. The promontory is faced by vertical cliffs on all but one side, which is protected by a prehistoric embankment. The cliffs and embankment form an enclosure that has been interpreted as an iron age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
, though the date of construction and purpose of the fortifications remains unknown. The site is a scheduled monument.
Location
Carl Wark is located at , at an elevation of about 370 metres (1,214 ft) above sea level. HathersageHathersage
Hathersage is a village in the Derbyshire Peak District, in England. It lies on the north bank of the River Derwent, approximately 10 miles west of Sheffield...
is about 3 kilometres (1.86 mi) to the west; Sheffield City Centre
Sheffield City Centre
Sheffield City Centre—often just referred to as town—is a district of the City of Sheffield, and part of the Sheffield Central ward. It includes the area that is within a radius of roughly of Sheffield Cathedral, and is encircled by the Inner Ring Road—a circular route started in the late 1960s...
about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) to the north-east. Historically this was within the ancient county of Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, but the surrounding area was annexed to the City of Sheffield in 1933, and now lies in the ceremonial county
Ceremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
of South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
.
The promontory is a Millstone Grit
Millstone Grit
Millstone Grit is the name given to any of a number of coarse-grained sandstones of Carboniferous age which occur in the Northern England. The name derives from its use in earlier times as a source of millstones for use principally in watermills...
outcrop
Outcrop
An outcrop is a visible exposure of bedrock or ancient superficial deposits on the surface of the Earth. -Features:Outcrops do not cover the majority of the Earth's land surface because in most places the bedrock or superficial deposits are covered by a mantle of soil and vegetation and cannot be...
situated in Hathersage Moor. From the north it is overlooked by the higher 434 metres (1,424 ft) peak of Higger Tor
Higger Tor
Higger Tor is a gritstone tor in the Burbage Valley, in the Peak District of England.It stands in the county of South Yorkshire, about from the border with Derbyshire, which runs along the nearest road, approximately east of Hathersage. Higger Tor overlooks the hill fort of Carl Wark to the...
. To the east is the valley of the Burbage Brook
Burbage Brook
Burbage Brook is a river in Padley Gorge, Derbyshire, England, situated close to Sheffield. It is a tributary of the River Derwent. The source of the brook is on moorland to the north of the brook's valley. The water enters Burbage valley at the Upper Burbage Bridge....
, which is overlooked by Burbage Edge, a Millstone Grit escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
. The land gently slopes away to the south following the course of Burbage Brook into the valley of the River Derwent
River Derwent, Derbyshire
The Derwent is a river in the county of Derbyshire, England. It is 66 miles long and is a tributary of the River Trent which it joins south of Derby. For half its course, the river flows through the Peak District....
. To the south-west, the land rises towards Winyards Nick and Over Owler Tor.
Layout
The promontory is approximately 230 metres (754.6 ft) long and 60 metres (196.9 ft) wide, oriented south-east to north-west. It gently slopes down to the west; at the peak of the promontory an area of 0.7 hectares (1.7 acre)—180 metres (590.6 ft) long, 60 metres (196.9 ft) wide—is enclosed by natural cliffs enhanced with man-made fortifications. The eastern and north-eastern sides of this enclosure are faced with vertical cliffs of up to 10 metres (32.8 ft) in height. The southern edge of the enclosure consists of large earth-fast boulders that have been reinforced with millstone grit blocks, forming a wall 2 – high. A rampart across the western end of the promontory completes the enclosure. The rampart is 40 metres (131.2 ft) long and 8 metres (26.2 ft) wide at its base, rising to a height of 3 metres (9.8 ft). It is constructed of a turfSod
Sod or turf is grass and the part of the soil beneath it held together by the roots, or a piece of thin material.The term sod may be used to mean turf grown and cut specifically for the establishment of lawns...
bank that is lined on its outer face with gritstone blocks. Within the southern wall, about 10 metres (32.8 ft) from the western rampart there is a 2 metres (6.6 ft) wide entrance. This entrance is a curved passage through the rock face with 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) walls on either side.
At the south end of the rampart there are the remains of a shelter, possibly a shieling
Shieling
A shieling is a small house or hut once common in the hills and mountains of Scotland and northern England. Farmers and their families lived there during the summer, when their livestock were grazing common land in the hills...
, built using stones from the rampart. Around the base of the cliff at the eastern end of the promontory there is evidence of millstone production, probably dating from the 16th or 17th centuries.
History
The date and purpose of the construction the ramparts at Carl Wark is uncertain, it has been described as being "unlike any other [structure] found in Northern England." It is widely postulated to be a hill fortHill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
of Iron Age
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
origin, perhaps dating from the 8th to the 5th centuries BC, though a similar enclosure at Gardom's Edge
Gardom's Edge
Gardom's Edge is located near Baslow in Derbyshire, England.The shelf between Gardom's Edge and Birchen Edge is now moorland used for grazing sheep, but was inhabited and arably farmed duringthe Bronze Age...
has been dated to the late Bronze Age
Bronze Age Britain
Bronze Age Britain refers to the period of British history that spanned from c. 2,500 until c. 800 BC. Lasting for approximately 1700 years, it was preceded by the era of Neolithic Britain and was in turn followed by the era of Iron Age Britain...
, between 1300 and 900 BC. There is no evidence of settlement within the enclosure so it is unlikely that the site was used for a continuously occupied fort; it may have been used as a place of refuge for a population living in the surrounding area or it may have had some ceremonial purpose.
Antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
Hayman Rooke
Hayman Rooke
Major Hayman Rooke became an antiquary on his retirement from the Army. The Major Oak is named after him.-Biography:Rooke was born on the 20th February 1723. After a modest military career, in which he achieved the rank of major, Major Rooke retired to Mansfield Woodhouse in Nottinghamshire and...
, writing in 1785, gave one of the earliest descriptions of the structure. He thought that it was built by the British celtic peoples
Britons (historical)
The Britons were the Celtic people culturally dominating Great Britain from the Iron Age through the Early Middle Ages. They spoke the Insular Celtic language known as British or Brythonic...
, and surmised that "it is natural to imagine, from the many sacred erections, that this place must have been intended for holy uses, or a court of justice". In 1861 historian John Gardner Wilkinson
John Gardner Wilkinson
Sir John Gardner Wilkinson was an English traveller, writer and pioneer Egyptologist of the 19th century. He is often referred to as "the Father of British Egyptology".-Childhood and education:...
wrote that the site "bears the marked characteristics of an ancient British [Iron Age] fort", whilst antiquarian and barrow-digger Thomas Bateman
Thomas Bateman
Thomas Bateman was an English antiquary and barrow-digger.-Biography:Thomas Bateman was born in Rowsley, Derbyshire, England, the son of the amateur archaeologist William Bateman...
stated that he thought the encampment had been set up as a defence against Constantine the Great during the Roman rule of Britain
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
. Isaac Chalkley Gould also dismissed Rooke's idea that the enclosure had a sacred use, writing that it may have been used as a temporary fortified camp or refuge. Following a limited excavation of the turf embankment by Frank Gerald Simpson in 1950, Cecily Margaret Piggott (the wife of Stuart Piggott
Stuart Piggott
Stuart Ernest Piggott CBE was a British archaeologist best known for his work on prehistoric Wessex.Born in Petersfield, Hampshire, Piggott was educated at Churcher's College and on leaving school in 1927 took up a post as assistant at Reading Museum where he developed an expertise in Neolithic...
) concluded that the rampart was constructed in the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
possibly in the 5th or 6th centuries as it is similar in construction techniques to some ramparts of this period in Scotland. More recent assessments suggest that the site may have been in use since the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
period, perhaps with multiple uses and phases of construction.
The origin of the name Carl Wark is unknown. Rooke used the name "Cair's Work" in his 1785 description, whereas Bateman used "Carleswark". Sheffield historian and folklorist S. O. Addy
Sidney Oldall Addy
Sidney Oldall Addy was an English author of books on folklore and history. He was born in Norton, Derbyshire to James Addy a coal merchant and landowner and Sarah. He studied classics at Lincoln College, Oxford before becoming a solicitor...
, writing in 1893, posited that the name is Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
in origin, meaning 'The Old Man's Fort', where the 'Old Man' refers to the devil—suggesting that the 9th to 10th century Danish settlers
Danelaw
The Danelaw, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , is a historical name given to the part of England in which the laws of the "Danes" held sway and dominated those of the Anglo-Saxons. It is contrasted with "West Saxon law" and "Mercian law". The term has been extended by modern historians to...
in the area regarded the enclosure as ancient and mysterious.