Huckhoe palisaded enclosure, defended settlement and Romano-British settlement, 550m north east of Bolam West Houses

Huckhoe Settlement lies on an oval promontory above a tributary of the River Wansbeck in Northumberland. The land drops steeply on the north and west sides, giving the site natural defence. A low earth and stone bank encloses an area 94 metres by 72 metres, with an entrance on the east side. Inside are slight traces of roundhouses and courtyard walls from later use. Earlier remains include two ramparts on the south and east sides, with an external ditch beyond the inner rampart. The site was occupied in four phases, from the early Iron Age to the post-Roman period. Excavations in the 1950s uncovered three concentric oak palisades, dated to about 580 BC. These are among the earliest defended settlements in north-east England and show the area was once heavily wooded. Romano-British activity is shown by iron slag and a hearth, while post-Roman rectangular buildings were also found. Visitors walk along grassy paths that follow the line of the old ramparts. The outer rampart stands about 0.8 metres high, with traces of the ditch still visible. The site offers wide views over the surrounding countryside. Nearby are other archaeological sites, including Bronze Age burial mounds and Iron Age and Romano-British settlements.