Duncorn Hill
Encyclopedia
Duncorn Hill is a rounded hill with a flat top by the Fosse Way
, on the limestone plateau south of Bath in Somerset
, England. It is 585 feet above sea level
and is a landmark. Its name is from the Celtic
din for fort and corn meaning horn-shaped.
of the Great Oolite
layer. This is typically covered with a soil layer of 5-6 inches. The soil is mostly brown or greyish brown but there are some yellow patches. The drainage on the hill is good.
The hill contains deposits of fuller's earth
and these have been analysed for their content of fossil shellfish
.
there. Field investigations on the fort were made in 1966, but no evidence was found. The scarps which had been seen from the road and were thought to provide evidence of a man made structure were found to be natural geological formations. There was also no sign of the cairn or pile of stones which had been described in the 18th century, but in 1975, Ralph Whitlock wrote of hilltop earthworks that were occupied in Iron Age times.
Fosse Way
The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England that linked Exeter in South West England to Lincoln in Lincolnshire, via Ilchester , Bath , Cirencester and Leicester .It joined Akeman Street and Ermin Way at Cirencester, crossed Watling Street at Venonis south...
, on the limestone plateau south of Bath in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England. It is 585 feet above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
and is a landmark. Its name is from the Celtic
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
din for fort and corn meaning horn-shaped.
Geology
The bedrock is sedimentary limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
of the Great Oolite
Great Oolite
The Great Oolite is a geological formation in Europe. It dates back to the Middle Jurassic.-Vertebrate fauna:This Limestone is dominant in many areas of the UK particularly in Birmingham and Anglesy. It is composed of oolites and lithic fragments...
layer. This is typically covered with a soil layer of 5-6 inches. The soil is mostly brown or greyish brown but there are some yellow patches. The drainage on the hill is good.
The hill contains deposits of fuller's earth
Fuller's earth
Fuller's earth is any non-plastic clay or claylike earthy material used to decolorize, filter, and purify animal, mineral, and vegetable oils and greases.-Occurrence and composition:...
and these have been analysed for their content of fossil shellfish
Terebratulida
Terebratulids are one of only three living orders of articulate brachiopods, the others being the Rhynchonellida and the Thecideida. Craniida and Lingulida include living brachiopods, but are inarticulates. The name, Terebratula, may be derived from the Latin "terebra", meaning "hole-borer"...
.
History
There may have been a Bronze or Iron Age 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...
there. Field investigations on the fort were made in 1966, but no evidence was found. The scarps which had been seen from the road and were thought to provide evidence of a man made structure were found to be natural geological formations. There was also no sign of the cairn or pile of stones which had been described in the 18th century, but in 1975, Ralph Whitlock wrote of hilltop earthworks that were occupied in Iron Age times.