More information : A small, isolated hill with rectangular base, now overgrown with trees, is naturally defended by precipitous slopes except on the east. Here an entrance ramp curves sharply north and west to give access to a flat summit, stated by Vidal to be 35 paces long by 15 paces wide. He records the local name Hennuborough or Henni Castle, but does not mention that it occurs on Donn's Map of 1765 as "Henny Castle olim (once) Kenwith". He records the former existence of a rampart with deep ditch halfway down the hill on the north and west sides, which had been reduced to a terraced walk on the north side only. The VCH however, described a 6 foot wide platform rising gradually from the eastern entrance to pass round the south and west sides of the hill, 12 feet below the summit, to end abruptly on the almost perpendicular north side. Below this platform the hillside is said to drop steeply to a modern path at a lower level. Rogers also noted a ditch halfway down the hill for 250 yards, close to which was a drystone wall of saxon-style herringbone construction, up to 6 feet in height. It ran for 300 feetalong the south and west sides and partly supported a low bank.
The Victoria County History states that, Kenwith Castle is, "locally known as Henni Castle and Henniborough Castle".
The hill is identified by Vidal with the Saxon defensive position before a decisive defeat of the Danes in 878 which is named the "Battle of Cynuit" (ST24SW27) by the contemporary Asser.
A natural hill, possibly steepened by artificial scarping, now presents evidence of fortification only in a weak ditch, 0.3m deep on the west side, and the entrance ramp or roadway, which is 3.0m wide. It appears to have been a primitive motte castle, without a bailey, 6.5m high on the north side and 2.0m on the south side. The wall and ditch described by Rogers are of recent origin: herringbone walling like this is still made in North Devon. A modern terrace has been made around the hill.
The name Kenwith Castle is in current use and applies to a wooded flattopped knoll at the west end of a narrowing and declining ridge. Save for a thin topsoil, the knoll is of rock and has been quarried on a minor scale. See ground photograph.
The natural defence is fairly good but supplementary work would be expected, particularly at the weak east end of the knoll, but there is no evidence of this. A rock-cut terrace 1.8m-2.8m wide extends from the NE angle of the hill at the same level as the ridge to the E, and makes a slight ascent along the N side, round the W end and to a point halfway along the south side whe the ascent becomes steeper. At the SE angle on the knoll the terrace ends abruptly at a modern fence, but 10m before, there are two branches; one northwards to the summit, and another to the west and north with a very gentle rise.
Half, if not all, of the terracing was apparently visible in 1806, and it is difficult to conceive the existence of the rampart and deep ditch which Vidal says was formerly around the hill. The terrace seems to be on native rock, not rampart infill, and had one existed, some evidence of scee would seem likely, especially downhaill of the terrace.
Although scheduled under "castles and fortifications", the overall impression is of 18th century ornamental terracing, in keeping with the castelated mansion to the north, formerly enwith, but now caled Kenwith Castle. Authenticity sems to rely upon Vidal and perhaps to a greater degree on Donn. (1-2)
Surveyed at 1:2500 on a Master Survey Document. (3)
A natural knoll, fortified on the upper slope by a single rampart with a simple entrance at the west end. The rampart runs away to the east where there may have been a former entrance; Kenwith Farm interferes with it at the easternmost point. A disused quarry cuts into the south-west base of the hill.
The rampart has the appearance of ledge and terrace on oval shaped mound. The top is relatively level and the enclosure is circa 50 metres running east-west. There is an old pit at the east end and there was a wooded platform to the west but this no longer remains. (4)
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