Godstone Castle Hill

In the civil parish of Godstone. In the historic county of Surrey (Modern Authority of Surrey, 1974 county of Surrey).

Called Ringwork by King PastScape report as 'Iron Age promontory fort situated on a spur which projects to the west from a sandstone hill in Castlehill Wood. The promontory fort's defences were constructed across the neck of the spur and survive as a NNE-SSW aligned, 110m long, curving bank around 15m wide and 1.4m deep. The eastern edge of the ditch has been destroyed by the modern A22 Godstone bypass during the mid-1980s. Access to the interior of the fort was provided by a simple gap at the south western end of the ramparts. During World War II, the monument was used as an aircraft observation post, represented by a small trench dug into the southern sector of the monument.' Excavation in 1982 reports no finds.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ36325082

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 403876
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 1249 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/GetRecord/SHHER_1249
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Surrey (Malvern) p15
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p465
    Malden, H.E. (ed), 1912, VCH Surrey Vol4 p284, 380
    Lambert, 1929, Godstone, a Parish History (privately published) p11-13
• Journal Articles
  • 1984, Surrey Archaeological Collections Vol75 p286
    O’Connell, M. and Poulton, R., 1983, 'An excavation at Castle Hill, Godstone' Surrey Archaeological Collections Vol74 p213–15
    1980, Surrey Archaeological Society Bulletin Vol169 p5-6
    King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
    1909-14, Proceedings of the Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society Vol7 p178-9