Three test pits were excavated over two days in March 2009 into the top of Hamilton Hill. The purpose of the test pits was to investigate the nature of the soils, subsoils and geology by comparing apparently stable areas with one of the areas of ground slumping. No archaeology was encountered, although fossil gryphaea were recovered from the test pit closest to the mound. In the first two pits reddish Sandstone bedrock was encountered. In the third, which was located in one of the slumped areas, soft yellow sandstone was encountered, the upper levels of which had decayed to a fine sand, only becoming relatively harder with depth. It is suggested that the processes causing the ground slip originated with the deforestation of Hamilton Hill, which has led to increased soil erosion, the effects of which are most apparent where the softest bedrock is exposed to both climatic impacts and animal activity.