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Summary

Down Castle a possible Iron Age hill fort or Medieval enclosure to the northwest of Down Farm

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Down Castle. Iron Age hillfort or medieval enclosure north west of Down Farm

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 34521
• National Monuments Record: SS 63 NE 9
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS63NE/13
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SS63NE9

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Early Iron Age to Early Medieval - 700 BC to 1399 AD (Between))

Full description

Lysons, D. + Lysons, S., 1822, Magna Britannica, 303 (Monograph). SDV323771.

Royal Air Force, 1946, 106G/UK/1501, 4037 (Aerial Photograph). SDV343075.

Other details: HER Number 8/8.

Royal Air Force, 1947, CPE/UK/2082, 4060 (Aerial Photograph). SDV343041.

Fox, A., 1961, Twenty-Fifth Report on the Archaeology and Early History of Devon, 71-3 (Article in Serial). SDV341693.

Down Castle, a possible Iron Age hill fort situated in the southeast corner of Bratton Fleming parish. The 1840 Tithe Map Apportionemtn shows two fields named as Great Castle Field and Little Castle Field, the earthwork lying mainly in the former. A rampart and ditch surrounds a sub-rectangular, almost square area of just under 0.2 hectares. Rampart and ditch much reduced by ploughing. Yet this is only half a mile from the site of the Iron Age fort on the crest of Mockham Down and this proximity, coupled with the small size, raises doubt as to whether it was indeed a fort, or rather was a small Post-Roman defensive enclosure.

Whybrow, C., 1966, Bratton Fleming on the Ground, 79-80 (Article in Serial). SDV339954.

Grinsell, L. V., 1970, The Archaeology of Exmoor, 78,94 (Monograph). SDV1641.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1972 - 1973, SS63NE9 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV343073.

Sub-rectangular enclosure lying north west to south east comprises a bank and outer ditch much reduced by ploughing. Has sharp corners suggesting |Medieval rather than Roman date. No entrance can be identified (lengh northwest to southeast 68.0 metres, width 50.0 metres) bank maximum height 0.3 metres. Grinsell suggests that this could be a Roman signal station, related to the fortlet at Martinhoe, or else a round-type settlement. Other details: Plan and Section.

Silvester, R. J. + Higham, R. A., 1980, Domestic Enclosures of Probable Medieval Date, 63-5 (Article in Serial). SDV55518.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, Untitled Source (Personal Comment). SDV343074.

Visited on 17th June 1984 when site was visible under hay from Mockham Down.

National Monuments Record, 2007 - 2009, National Monuments Record Index incorporating Exmoor National Park National Mapping Programme for SS63NE (National Monuments Record Database). SDV343039.

A sub-rectangular enclosure measuring 68 metres by 50 metres consisting of a bank and outer ditch is visible as an earthwork in fields northwest of Down Farm in Bratton Fleming. The monument has been much reduced by ploughing, and is overlain by extant field boundaries on its eastern side. The sharp corners of the enclosure suggest a Medieval date; however, the enclosure could also be an Iron Age hillslope enclosure, and further study is required to establish this. Other details: Monument Number 34521.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4547 - Exmoor National Park National Mapping Programme

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