Honington Iron Age Fort

One of four potential hillforts in the historic county of Lincolnshire, Honington Camp, which dates from the Iron Age (800BC – 42AD) lies three kilometres south-west of Ancaster.

Sub-rectangular in form, its defences consist of two banks with external ditches and a slight counterscarp bank on the outermost edge.

There is one possible entrance in the south-east corner

The hillfort earthworks were the subject of a measured survey and fieldwalking as part of research for an MA dissertation.

There is a third bank outside the other two, although this is the most eroded of the earthworks. Two further gaps in the banks were noted as well as the possible entrance in the south-east corner. One of these gaps is a V-shape in the western banks, the other is a U-shape in the north-western banks, although the U-shape appears to be caused by recent erosion possibly by sheep.

The V-shape, however, may be an original feature. In places the turf cover of the banks was eroded, showing the limestone rubble construction material. This was visible in all three banks. {14} A resistivity survey was carried out in the interior of the camp in 2002.

Possible ditch-type anomalies were recorded, although these may be of geological origin. Several circular and several linear ditch-type anomalies were identified, and an area of low resistance running around the inside of the innermost bank was also observed. This may represent another defensive ditch.

The probable entrance in the south-east corner was also seen in the results