Description
A solitary hill with a hill-fort dominating the western part of the Somerset Levels, is a geological 'island' composed of horizontal strata of Lias limestones and clays, forming a plateau at about 45 meters above sea level, and surmounted at its southern end by Hard Midford Sand deposits rising to 137m O.D. between the villages of East Brent and Brent Knowll, formerly South Brent, it presents steep, almost cliff- like slopes to the surrounded alluvial lowlands.
The 'island' character of Brent Knoll contributed much to its importance before the drainage of the Somerset Levels. The Iron Age hill-fort can still be seen crowning its summit. Re-used in late Roman times, it was possibly a stronghold in the politically unstable period following the withdrawl of the main Roman administration in the early years of the 5th century AD, and into the period of Anglo-Saxon penetration into Somerset in the mid 7th century. It was certainly associated in the Middle Ages, when it belonged to Glastonbury Abbey, with an element of the Arthurian legend. There have been no recent scientific excavations of Brent Knoll, but the Reverend John Skinner, a vicar of Camerton and one time curate of South Brent, conducted small excavations on the hill-top between 1812 and 1830.
It has been suggested that its name derives either from the Old English 'brant' meaning 'steep' or from an Old British word 'brigantia', 'a high place' ( Thackray 1980).
Brent Knoll must have served as a significant sea mark, although it is not certain whether a beacon was ever built on the summit. Before the building, by Trinity House, of the Burnham lighthouses, in 1829 and 1832, it is said that the spire of East Brent Church was whitewashed for this purpose ( Dobson D.P., 1948).
The interior of the hill-fort has been extensively quarried in the Middle Ages, for the Midford Sand which caps the hill. However, considerable areas of the interior, especially on the north and south-west appear to be intact. The whole site is pasture with some evidence of cattle-poaching on the ramparts. There is considerable scrub growth on the southern ramparts. The most serious problem, however, appears to be that of access, pressure of visitors has caused some erosion on the north side.
Archaeological Comments - Site:118005*0 Althoug much of the interior of this 1.6 hectare hill-fort was quarried in the Middle Ages, it is probable that some of the quarry scoops immediately inside the rampart, particularly those north of the original entrance-way, provided the stone for the original defences. These consisted of a single, low, inner rampart, stepped in from the scarp, and an outer line of defense, surviving as a terrace slightly down the slope. Both encircle the hill-top, except where the original entrance-way, which is on the east side, is approached by a terraced track running up the hill-side from the north-east. As this turns between the rampart ends it becomes a slight hollow-way, partly resulting from the medieval quarrying. Two irregular D-shaped platforms are set into the hill-side on either side of the entrance, reminiscent of the entrance arrangements at Cadbury Camp, Congresbury, probably AD 5th century, they may once have been the sites of guard rooms or towers. A series of shallow terraces running across the spur to the north may be the remains of original outwork defences on this, the least steep side.
No scientific attmepts have been made to date the defenses. It is possible, therefore, that they belong, like those at other hill-forts in the region, such as Cadbury Congesbury, Avon and South Cadbury, Somerset, to a late or post-Roman refurbishing of earlier, Iron Age, arrangements. The Iron Age origin of the hill- fort is confirmed by the small fragments of hand-made, and often burnished, Iron Age pottery found in the Reverend Skinner's digs, and occasionally as surface finds.
Brief references to the discovery of Roman coins on the Knoll occur in various histories from the late 18th century onwards. The Reverend J. Skinner, the Somerset antiquary, in his casual diggings within the hill-fort in the early 19th century, found further evidence of Roman occupation. In brief notes in his 'journals' he recorded occupation debris including foundation stones, painted plaster, samian ware and other Roman pottery, coins, charcoal and nails. He concluded that this was the site of a Roman building destroyed by much quarrying. More recently, surface finds of pottery, much of which is of the 3rd and 4th centuries, including Romano-British black burnished wares, together with box-flue tile fragments and a coin of Victorinus ( AD 268 - 70) lend additional weight to Skinner's conclusion.
Excavations in the low ground of the Somerset Levels have revealed evidence of flooding in the 3rd and 4th centuries. The higher ground of Brent Knoll must have attracted settlement as low land farming conditions worsened. Apart from the finds at the fort, a number of Roman sites are known from pottery scatters and other occupation evidence around the lower slopes of the Knoll.
However, the presence of Roman, particularly late Roman material within hill-forts is not uncommon in Somerset and elsewhere. Locally, Cadbury Camp Congresbury, some 11 miles distant, where the defences were rebuilt at the very end of the Roman period, was associated with a late Roman temple and a cemetery. Soo too was Brean Down. Indeed, such hill-top sites were commonly used for late Roman temples. Cannington hill-fort, 9 miles south of Brent Knoll, on the far side of the River Parett, likewise produced evidence of late Roman occupation and a large inhumation cemetery. Evidence for late Roman re-occupation also pertains to the hill-forts of Dolebury on Mendip, where Pennant roof-tiles have been found, and Worlebury, Weston-Super-Mare.
No 5th-7th century finds, such as imported Mediterranean pottery, have been made at Brent Knoll, and not enough is known about the site in this period to allow any conclusions to be drawn about the nature and even the precise date of its late and post-Roman occupation ( Thackray 1980).
Visit by M. Papworth to site on 18th February 2004 to look at position of crosses erected at the E entrance each Easter for many years but without SMC. Rampart and interior grass covered and in good condition. Scrub growth on terrace below rampart below SE side and NW side. Erosion the NW rampart edge 12m long revealed no finds but dark brown topsoil 0.2m deep above 0.5m deep erosion scar of lumps of limestone up to 400mm3 average 200mm blocks in a yellow to ochre loamy sand. Small piece of erosion below the NE entrance on the N side no finds.
Re-excavation of cross positions 29th March 2004. Each 0.3m square and 0.5m deep rampart made of a dark brown loamy clay with occasional lumps of carboniferous limestone up to 200m3. The backfill also contained fragment of Roman pottery 3 sherds of black-burnished and a fragment of soapy fabric fine grained grey ware also a few small fragments of bone and ceramic building material. The post-holes were refilled with a section of drain pipe and packed with gravel to enable the cross post-hole to be reused each Easter. Finds to Nancy Grace at Castle View Corfe Castle.