The date and purpose of the construction of the rampart at Carl Wark are uncertain. It has been described as being unlike any other [structure] found in Northern England. It is widely postulated to be a hill fort of Iron Age origin, perhaps dating from the 8th to the 5th centuries BC, though a similar enclosure at Gardom's Edge has been dated to the late Bronze Age, between 1300 and 900 BC. There is no evidence of settlement within the enclosure so it is unlikely that the site was used for a continuously occupied fort; it may have been used as a place of refuge for a population living in the surrounding area or it may have had some ceremonial purpose.