Harbottle : Prehistoric Occupation And Land Use

As yet there is no firm archaeological evidence for prehistoric, Romano-British or early-medieval occupation at Harbottle. Resource exploitation, at least, is highly likely in the surrounding area, given the combined potential, within 2km of the site, of valley bottom and highland zones, woodland and grassland habitats. Neolithic and Bronze Age activity is attested locally by small finds and burials, respectively, whilst Iron Age or Romano-British enclosures are relatively densely scattered in the wider vicinity, principally occupying promontories or ridges above the Coquet or its tributaries, not dissimilar to the castle site at Harbottle.

The prime defensible location of the castle site, on a flat-topped ridge overlooking steep slopes which drop down to the flat, marshy, river valley, raises the possibility that it too was once crowned by an Iron Age hill fort, like that at the neighbouring, topographically similar site of Harehaugh (Carlton, forthcoming).

It has recently been argued that the castle may overly earlier earthworks which may be of prehistoric date (Welfare et al. 1999, 58-9; Welfare 2002, 77). No evidence for a hillfort phase was recovered during recent excavations within the castle enceinte (cf. Crow 1998), but this does not represent a conclusive negative case. The extent of medieval construction works particularly in the area of the gatehouse where much of the recent investigation was focussed may have removed evidence of earlier activity.