This site was occupied in several periods, originally late Bronze age between 700 – 500BC. Firstly a simple farmstead which expanded to a blockhouse (fort) and then by a huge circular broch. A population of around 60 lived in this little fortress. Later, 2nd century occupation is shown when a wheelhouse was added.
Period: Iron Age
Castle Naze Hill Fort
This is a promontory fort of probable Iron Age date. It uses the natural cliffs of the hill that it stands to protect its northern and western sides. It is triangular in form, and to protect its south-eastern face, a very impressive double rampart of possibly later Iron Age construction has been thrown up.
Carl Wark Hill Fort
This is a hill fort of unproven origin, best thought to be Iron or Dark age in date. Bronze Age artifacts are also close by and show a long general occupation of the area. The primary purpose for this visit was to investigate the possibility that it was used by the Brigantes during the period of Cartimandua and, if so, to try to assess its role between 43 and 70 AD.
Castle Dykes Roman Villa
This earthwork was partially excavated in 1870, these revealed the foundations for a Roman villa of obvious opulence. It’s final Roman owners were believed to have suffered a grisly death as the villa burnt around them. It is likely that future excavations will reveal that the villa was built over of an earlier tribal centre. Probably replacing the shrine to the “Light Water” with a more Mediterranean alternative.
Live Moor Hill Fort
“Whorlton, Live Moor, (NZ 496012) A previously unrecorded promontory fort was identified by D. Smith on air photographs and later surveyed by him and G. W. Goodall. A single rampart with external ditch extends across the west-facing spur of Live Moor to enclose an area of approximately 2 acres known as Knolls End.

