The Urenui Pa

This is one of the very old forts of the Urenui district. It is an isolated hill of elongated form standing on the right bank of the Urenui river, fortified by means of escarpments, ditches and ramparts, to which must be added the numerous lines of stockades that formerly stood on the scarped faces and other positions. See Fig. 50, p. 195. The river flows at the eastern base of the hill; the southern end of this eastern face of the hill being a steep bluff, while the northern end is a perpendicular cliff in its upper parts. A considerable part of this face at the northern end slipped into the river some years ago. This pa is very much larger than Pohokura near by, and of a more interesting type, as also much better preserved. The summit of the hill is a comparatively level area, having doubtless been levelled artificially to some extent-an easy task in this loose page 195 friable soil. The upper parts of the western side and the north and south ends have been formed into terraces for occupation, below which run heavy earthwork defences. The southern end of the eastern side also shows two terraces. The heaviest defences are those at the south end of the hill where the main entrance seems to have been situated. The hill carries steep slopes all round except at the southern end where a narrow spur runs down to the flat. See J on plan.

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Leaving the level of the flat of the southern end we advance up the gently sloping spur to the first scarp, the outer line of the terrace marked L, the base of which is about 17 ft. above our starting point. Terrace L is but about 6 yds. across, and has evidently been a small residential area; it is connected with the ditch opposite N by an upward sloping road 8 ft. wide. The inner end of this terrace is marked by a high scarp of 14 ft. in height. This defence is comprised of the steep batter left when the terrace was formed and a superimposed earthen rampart. Inside this wall, and west of the entrance passage is a short fosse 6 ft. deep running across the spur and on along the western side of the hill. On the inner side of this ditch is a rampart 10 ft. high, 9 ft. wide and 15 ft. long, a solid block of earth and soft stone left when the fosses were formed, and inside of which is a deep fosse 7 ft. wide that connects with the one running round the western side of the hill. The entrance passage or lane from terrace L runs into this inner fosse, and this was evidently the main entrance to the pa, so that any persons entering the place had to pass through this fosse, which has a ten-foot wall on the outer side, and a practically perpendicular scarp of at least 16 feet on the inner side. Any enemy attempting to enter by this narrow passage would be at the mercy of the defenders stationed on the summit of the inner scarp 16 ft. or 18 ft. above them. The dotted line shows so much of the entrance passage to the pa as can be now recognised, the western terraces being much broken down by stock at this end of the hill. The old entrance to the uppermost area at B is plain.

At the eastern end of the inner fosse opposite N is a sudden drop to a short ditch at the southern end of the terrace extending round the eastern side of the hill. The continuation of the fosse round the western side is also lower than that part between the two walls, a longitudinal section of which would be thus This higher part is papa rock, which is possibly the reason why it was not excavated further.

The ditch or fosse running round the western side as part of its outermost works runs first at about 40 ft. above the flat, but rises as it advances, then sinks to rise again in sympathy with the contour of the hill. Most of the way it shows an outer wall, but at certain places no wall is seen and much abrasion has occurred. Below this page 197 outer work is an easy slope to the flat below. See Fig. 51 above. F represents a lone triangular terrace cut out of the point of the hill, with an inner scarp of 20 ft. almost perpendicular, at the foot of which is a ditch.

The cross section of the pa (Fig. 52) between O and P will help the reader to grasp the aspect of these defences.

Harking back to the south end of the hill fort we find an almost perpendicular scarp of 16 feet on the inner side of the deep fosse that served as an entrance passage. Ascending this we find ourselves on the terrace K that has been formed at the end of the ridge. This terrace continues in a narrow form round the eastern side to Q where it rises to the level of the summit area and was evidently a means of access to the same. On the west side the K terrace drops abruptly 8 ft. to the upper terrace on the western side. This terrace commences to rise at 33 yds. from the starting point in sympathy with the rise of the summit of the ridge, and also of the lower work. At 60 yds, it has risen 20 ft. and carries a width of from 12 ft. to 18 ft., but then widens out to 30 ft., then to 40 ft., a fine flat terrace with an inner scarp of 7 ft. Further on the terrace narrows and descends a little, having an inner scarp of 8 ft. to 10 ft., and then runs out near G. This terrace is a fine residential area and, judging from the amount of shell refuse on the lower slope, probably accommodated many cooking sheds. Storage pits of the rua kopiha type are also page 198 numerous, many being formed under the inner scarp in order to economise space. A very noticeable feature in all middens of these pa of the Urenui district is the diminutive size of vast numbers of pipi shells. At R is plainly seen an ascending passage by which access was gained to the summit of the ridge. The summit and much of the slopes are covered with a fine growth of small trees, as kowhai, mahoe, rewarewa, kawakawa and wharangi. The site is a commanding one, and affords a fine view of sea and land.

The terrace running from K to Q is about 20 ft. wide in its widest part but narrows as it rises to Q. North of this is a perpendicular cliff of from 30 ft. to 60 ft. on the eastern side, below which the talus slopes down to the river far below. There is a considerable growth of noxious weeds on the hill, but many tokens of former occupation are discernible. Sixteen species of ferns were collected here by Mr. W. W. Smith.

A spring at the foot of the spur below F was probably one of the water supplies of this place.

In this pa are seen two illustrations of a sudden drop of 8 ft. in the level of terraces, either intended as an additional defence (in conjunction with a stockade), or in order to take advantage of slope formation.

The cross and longitudinal sections given tend to illustrate the defensive works better than a written description. Also we must imagine lines of stockades along the crests of all scarps.

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The terrace marked I shows an outer wall or rampart in places, and its eastern end for 30 yards assumes the form of a ditch with heavy outer rampart, while below it is another fosse and rampart, these extra defences at this part being necessary on account of a spur here running down to the flat.

The scarp at A is 11 ft. high, the K area being an easily defended one on its outer lines. The S to D line is approximately S.E. by S. to N.W. by N.

The old road to Puke-aruhe military station, made by the Armed Constabulary long years ago, runs round the western base of this hill.

The inhabitants of this and other forts of the district possessed very fine lands for cropping purposes and must have grown large quantities of sweet potatoes. The sea and tidal river would also yield abundant food supplies.

The trees found growing on this old fortified place are:—

Kowhai = Sophora tetraptera
Mahoe = Melicytus ramiflorus
Rewarewa = Knightia excelsa
Kawakawa = Piper excelsum
Wharangi = Brachyglottis repanda.