Of all the magical, mystical locations in the entire
North-East of England, many would argue that the twin-peaked hill of Yeavering
Bell on the edge of the Cheviots is the most evocative of them all. It is the
much heralded site of the region’s largest Iron Age hillfort – with a grand
history stretching back further still.
It is not a huge hill at a modest 361m (1,182ft), but such
is its situate on the very northern edge of the Cheviot range overlooking the
rivers Glen and Till and the Milfield Basin that it has always loomed large
over the lives of those who have lived there. From at least the late Neolithic
period (around 4-5,000 years ago) man has looked up in awe and wonder at the
Bell, using it to align stones and monuments – and to build a temple there,
too. Among a patchwork of ancient remains a Neolithic burial cairn adorns the
eastern summit.
During the Bronze Age (2000BC – 800BC), again, man made use
of the hill – there is certainly plenty of evidence of burials in the immediate
vicinity. But it is in the Iron Age (800BC – 50AD) that the site came into its
own, and it is from this era that the encircling wall on Yeavering summit
dates. It would have been a tribal stronghold of the mighty Votadini, with
walls 10ft thick and 8ft high in places enclosing a spacious 12 acres.
The remains of around 130 stone and timber roundhouses, as
well as the wall itself, can still be made out – the latter being still
remarkably substantial. This equates to a sizeable settlement for its day,
though no one has quite been able to work out why it was situated where it was
(on top of an exposed hilltop). Perhaps it was a safe, defendable position, a
high status location, a combination of both, or perhaps something else
entirely. There are four entrances to the ‘fort’, one of which incorporates a
guard-house; additionally, there is an inner, much smaller fort.
There is still much to learn about Northumberland’s premier
archaeological site. No one seems to know exactly when, or why, it was
abandoned (though finds there extend into the Romano-British period). However,
the hill’s magnetic appeal never did fade completely, as a little after the Romans
left a royal palace would spring up in the shadow of Yeavering Bell about a
mile to the north.
Copyright issues prevent me from reproducing images from
elsewhere, but some great pictures can be found here. The fort is
open to the public – see the leaflet available here.
No comments:
Post a Comment