Counterscarp Bank

The facing wall on the forward (outer, downhill) side of a defensive ditch, often faced by brick or stone for ease of maintenance. The scarp was the main fortress wall of a hillfort or earthwork site. The term also describes the side of the vallum and ditch furthest away from the camp and facing in towards it.

Low bank found on the outer side of a defensive ditch, most of the material from which has gone into the main bank on the inner side. The purpose of counterscarp banks is unclear, since they do not enhance the defensive value of the earthwork; they may have served to provide visual emphasis for the main bank and ditch. They are commonly found on the hillforts of the British Iron Age, but also occur on earthworks of other periods and in other areas.