Hillesley Ringwork

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Very Croft; Hawkesbury

In the civil parish of Hawkesbury.
In the historic county of Gloucestershire (Modern Authority of South Gloucestershire, 1974 county of Avon).

Earthwork remains of a ringwork and possible Saxo-Norman fortified manor which has now been destroyed. The rampart was rebuilt between C12-C14. There are foundations of four possible buildings on the site. King writes this is an unlikely position for a castle (far to close to Bristol), but seems a typical location to me for a thegnal burh, in village by church, on a hilltop, controlling a crossroads.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Cropmarks/slight earthworks remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST76778960

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 205085

• Web site links
  • http://www.glos.ac.uk/bgas/tbgas/v105/bg105147.pdf
• Books
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1
• Journal Articles
  • Williams, B., 1987, ‘Excavation of a medieval earthwork complex at Hillesley, Hawkesbury, Avon’ Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol105 p147-63
    Ellis, P., 1984, ‘Earthwork surveys of three sites in Avon' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol102 p206-10
    Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1980, ‘Medieval Britain in 1979' Medieval Archaeology Vol24 p247-48
    Williams, B., 1979, ‘Hillesley ringwork, Northavon' Bristol Archaeological Research Group Bulletin 6.8 p204-6