Ancient and Historical Monuments in the County of Gloucester Iron Age and Romano-British Monuments in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1976.
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'Gotherington', in Ancient and Historical Monuments in the County of Gloucester Iron Age and Romano-British Monuments in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds, (London, 1976) pp. 59. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/ancient-glos/p59 [accessed 19 April 2024]
GOTHERINGTON
(18 miles N.N.W. of Cirencester)
(1) Nottingham Hill Camp (SO 987282), promontory fort, bivallate, unexcavated, cuts off some 120 acres on a spur of the main escarpment, 1½ miles S.E. of the village (plan opposite; see also map, p. 107, s.v. Southam). Its Saxon name was Cocca burh (PNG, II, 90). (fn. 1) Sinking across the line of the present entrance may result from a former ditch and show that it is not original; nevertheless an early charter (Sawyer No. 141) mentions a 'gate' where the parish boundary meets the rampart.
Two close-set banks, each with an outer ditch, 105 ft. across overall, cross the spur on the S.E.; the other sides are defined by the scarp edges. The inner bank is placed on rising ground and stands 5 ft. above the interior and 10 ft. above the inner ditch. The less massive outer bank, springing from the edge of the inner ditch, reaches a height of 7 ft. above the outer ditch. The earthworks on the S. are extremely disturbed. A hollow-way leads from lower ground into the N. end of the outer ditch.
According to Norman's History of Cheltenham (J. Goding ed., 1863), p. 12, a Dobunnic coin, a lancehead and part of a human skeleton were found in 1844 while quarrying was taking place in the 'lower mound' of the hill. British coffins and coins, and also Roman coins, are reported from the encampment (Allen, in IASB, 283). All these finds have been lost.
In 1972, two leaf-shaped bronze swords were ploughed up just inside the main rampart. A third sword, a socketed knife, a palstave and other objects including pottery were subsequently recovered by excavation (information from the Committee for Research into the Iron Age in the North-west Cotswolds).
Lloyd Baker (1821), 171, No. 24. Playne (1876), 209, No. 8. Witts (1883), 38, No. 75.
(2) Rectangular Enclosures (SO 95102920) show as crop-marks on flat ground at about 175 ft. above O.D., 1 mile S.W. of the village. The ditches, partly overlapping, cover approximately 1 acre. The pattern is confused by the furrows of former ridge-and-furrow cultivation and by numerous soil marks of natural origin.
N.M.R., OAP (Baker), SO 9429/2–5.