An Architecture of Hillforts in Northumberland

 

SYNOPSIS

 

 

Hillforts have been well documented by historians and archaeologists over many years but they have

 

not roused the same interest from Architects and little is written about their architecture.  

 

As ancient English constructions they survive as examples of how early man modified his

 

environment, man-made places in need of further investigation and discussions, to open

 

up new lines of inquiry about how and why early man defined places in the landscape and if they can

 

rightfully be called architecture.

 

 

It is fortunate that connected trench enclosures and stone enclosures in Northumberland are

 

extraordinarily well preserved, providing rare opportunities for explorations in a variety of situations.  

 

The study focuses on trench enclosures because landscape and the inspiration it provides is more

 

clearly explained where the ground is most serially moulded.  Comparisons are drawn with stone

 

enclosures to illustrate how properties of different landscapes impact on formations over different

 

periods of time.

 

 

From a practising Architect with a speciality in relationships between rural settlements and landscape

 

the study draws on first hand design experience and understanding of settlement and landscape

 

linkages to examine cause and effect, what stimulated and drove the concept of connected trench

 

enclosures, and theorises how creative processes unfolded into finished hillfort forms.