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Summary

Cranbrook Castle univallate hillfort overlooking the River Teign on the north-east fringe of Dartmooris. It is a small sub-square enclosure of 4 hecatres with up to three ramparts with enctrances on the east and south-west sides

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1003860: Cranbrook Castle

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX78NW6
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 445462
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX78NW/1
• Old SAM County Ref: 143

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HILLFORT (Constructed, Iron Age - 700 BC (Between) to 42 AD (Between))

Full description

Searley, A. W., 1800, A Book about Dartmoor, 97, 127 (Monograph). SDV306036.

Lysons, D. + Lysons, S., 1822, Magna Britannica, 353 (Monograph). SDV323771.

Woollcombe, H., 1839-1850, Woollcombe Manuscript, 140 (Un-published). SDV16214.

Woollcombe visited the site in 1832 and on 19th August 1840. He describes it as having a single rampart (mainly stones) and outer ditch, double rampart to south. In 1840 the north rampart was levelled, the west and east ramparts quarried. Plan in manuscript.

Wilkinson, J. G., 1862, On British Remains on Dartmoor, 125 (Article in Serial). SDV277122.

Wilkinson notes that Cranbrook Castle has two entrances, unusual in British camps of comparable size, with a projection or tower within gateway on each side.

Unknown, 1863, Unknown, 25 (Article in Serial). SDV306039.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Cranbrook Castle (Camp)' shown on 19th century map.

Rowe, S., 1896, A Perambulation of the Royal Forest of Dartmoor and the venville precincts, 126 (Monograph). SDV249697.

Amery, P. F. S., 1900-1901, A Tour across Dartmoor into North Devon by the Rev. John Swete 1789, 92 (Article in Serial). SDV18670.

Baring Gould, S., 1901, 7th Report of the Dartmoor Exploration Committee, 129-135 (Article in Serial). SDV249499.

Victoria County History, 1906, The Victoria History of the County of Devon, 365-366, 598-599 /plan (Article in Serial). SDV238214.

The main entrance is to the southwest where the earthwork curves. Two hut circles found within east rampart, with remains of fire-holes; charcoal, pottery fragments, base of a quern, and sling stones were found. Excavations in 1901 revealed pottery of a type similar to b. A. But which survived into i. A. The elaborate system of fortification points to the earthwork having been erected not earlier than the i. A. Interior of the camp is studded with dozens of small round stumps of stone about 1.5m diameter, which also cover the north slope of the hill. No metal was found in any of the excavations.

Allcroft, A. H., 1908, Earthwork of England, 116 (Monograph). SDV11975.

Allcroft compares Cranbrook with Shoulsbarrow. A line of 'loose stone' remains on the northern side, possibly an unfinished rampart. The plan published by Allcroft shows up to four lines of defences on the western side of the fort.

Worth, R. H., 1927, Proceedings at the 66th Annual Meeting, 27-28 (Article in Serial). SDV338184.

Ralegh Radford, C. A., 1929, Our Prehistoric Camps, 5 (Article in Serial). SDV306038.

Hawkes, C., 1931, Hillforts, 79, 95 (Article in Serial). SDV135844.

Pilkington-Rogers, C. W, 1932, The Date of the Dartmoor Antiquities, 348, 385-6 (Article in Serial). SDV149513.

Excavations in 1900 discovered pottery with incised decoration similar to that found at Glastonbury Lake Village. Nothing of earlier date found. Elaborate system of fortification on south side and discovery of granite quern. All points to Early Iron Age

Brailsford, J. W., 1938, Bronze Age Stone Monuments of Dartmoor, 456 (Article in Serial). SDV304210.

Radford, C., 1945, Report on the Inclusion of Archaeologically Important Areas in Natural Reserves, 140 (Article in Serial). SDV306032.

Worth, R. H., 1946, Stray notes on the Teign Valley, 165-167 (Article in Serial). SDV222207.

Royal Air Force, 1947, CPE/UK/2082, 4934-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDV343041.

Cambridge University, 1950, CUC/FL, 33-35 (Aerial Photograph). SDV135873.

Cambridge University Collection, 1953, CUC/MH, 28-30 (Aerial Photograph). SDV24830.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1953/1981, SX78NW6 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV306009.

(21/03/1953) Hut circles not located and no surface finds made. Defensively the situation is rather poor. Whole camp is overgrown with bracken and furze and is in fair state of preservation. Most complete entrance is on east side and not that on southwest which has no definite incurving evidence.
(23/11/1981) The construction phases of Cranbrook Castle are obscure and somewhat erratic. The northern side consists of a vestigial bank to which an external platform of gathered stones has been added; overall it averages 8m. wide and 0.3m high. This evidently represents the setting out line and base for the inner rampart which elsewhere has been augmented by material from a deep outer ditch, with an intermediate berm. Dump construction is clear and on the south some excavation of the spillage has exposed revetment walling in the outer face of the rampart.
Beyond the ditch there is, for the most part, a further berm, from which rises a weak outer rampart accompanied by a shallow ditch. This defence fades at the south east angle, where there is a slight gap before a setting-out scarp indicates the projected alignment, ceasing when level with the eastern entrance. A similar but more pronounced scarp extends along the west side of the fort from the southwest angle, leaving a wide interspace. The air photograph of 1947 shows an over-lapping entrance gap, 50m. north of the inner west entrance but this cannot now be properly determined because of agricultural depredations. A final 50m. length of packed stones, paralleling a modern wall, terminates abruptly with the more complete inner rampart.
There is distinct evidence that the west entrance was to be inturned; the same might have been intended for the east entrance but here there has been much excavation disturbance.
No huts are visible within the hillfort and the dense growth of bracken and gorse precludes identification of most of the cairns, a score of which can be seen on the air photo. (a). The few found by chance average 3m. in diameter and 0.3m. high. They are almost certainly clearance heaps. What is not clear is whether they were to be used as constructional material for the defences or whether they are the result of later agricultural activity (see SX 78 NW 39).
However, both the plan of Cranbrook Castle and ground observation indicate that it is an unfinished multivallate hillfort, and not a work of two phases in the sense of widely separated periods.
Surveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. See plan at 1:1250 for profiles and linear profile X-Y, and ground photographs.

Cambridge University, 1955, CUC/QE, 89-91 (Aerial Photograph). SDV224837.

Cambridge University, 1966, CUC/ANM, 23-25 (Aerial Photograph). SDV62341.

Peacock, D. P. S., 1969, A Contribution to the Study of Glastonbury Ware form South-Western Britain, 58 (Article in Serial). SDV135837.

Grinsell, L. V., 1970, Discovering Regional Archaeology: South Western England, 24 (Monograph). SDV304192.

Cranbrook Castle, a hill fort. Iron age. A small roughly circular hill fort on the north east fringe of dartmoor, overlooking the river teign. It is essentially univallate with berm, ditch and counterscarp. The rampart is stone built. The north side is either unfurnished or largely levelled. There are original inturned entrances certainly at the east and probably at the west. The land usage is rough pasture.

Collis, J., 1972, Cranbrook Castle, Moretonhampstead, Devon. A New Survey, 216-221 (Article in Serial). SDV306044.

Cranbrook Castle can be interpreted as a two-phase structure. First: a univallate enclosure of 7.5 hectares, slight defences and two possibly three weakly defended entrances; this phase believed to be of long duration. Decorated glastonbury pot associated with it. Second: a univallate hillfort with more massive ramparts with stone revetment, enclosing 5.25 hectares; this phase unfinished. Earlier entrances remained in use and a partially bivallate rampart was formed.

Cambridge University, 1973, CUC/BMT, 17-19 (Aerial Photograph). SDV306067.

National Monuments Record, 1977, SX7388, 1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV306062.

National Monuments Record, 1977, SX7389, 5 (Aerial Photograph). SDV306061.

Collis, J., 1979, Cranbrook Castle Revisited, 191-194 (Article in Serial). SDV306016.

An attempt to establish relationships between the hillfort and the reaves discovered in the vicinity. Plan shows position of reaves. The relationship with the phase one fort suggests the reaves are earlier and also that the reave system was still in use if not actually under construction contemporary with the hillfort origins. Parallel with Quarley Hill in Hampshire. There is an alternative interpretation that the hillfort is one phase, bivallate. This depends on the view of the relationship between the inner and outer banks on the nw side of the fort, which is ambiguous. Collis corrects previous calculations of the areas of the enclosures. Now gives phase one as about 4 hectares and phase two as 2.8 hectares.
R.J. Silvester has suggested that the fort is of one period only, bivallate and unfinished. The key problem is the outer bank on the northern side; it is of an earlier period or marking out bank ? On the east side Silvester sees it running to the base of the bank whereas Collis considers it cut by the unfinished ditch. The west side is less clear and it is impossible to say whether the end of the inner rampart is unfinished or robbed. Silvester also notes that on the south side the outer bank is substantial but Collis suggests it was rebuilt.

Pearce, S. M., 1979, The Distribution and Production of Bronze Age Metalwork, 144 (Article in Serial). SDV322230.

Silvester, R. J., 1979, The Relationship of First Millennium Settlement to the Upland Areas of the South West, 181, Fig. 1 (Article in Serial). SDV177352.

Cambridge University, 1980, CUC/CMD, 1-3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV135877.

Greeves, T. + Griffith, F. M., 1981, Cranbrook Castle (Worksheet). SDV351084.

Stone revetment of rampart still visible in places. A small area of ploughing to the west abuts the outer rampart.

Quinnell, N. V., 1981, Crankbrook Castle (Plan - measured). SDV306052.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1981, SX78NW39 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV306057.

(23/11/1981) The fields seen on the aerial photograph are mostly not locatable on the ground, because of gorse. At two points the banks are cut by the hillfort ramparts. The prehistoric system is earlier than the fort: the contemporary usage put forward by Collis is unproven. Extensive clearance heaps suggest the system previously extended further.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, Cranbrook Castle (Personal Comment). SDV306060.

Site visit 6th July 1985. Several inexpertly cut trenches observed in the outer edge of the inner rampart, apparently made within the last year. One, just east of the trig pillar, displays the revetment wall of the inner rampart well.

The Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England Aerial Photograph Unit, 1985, The Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England Aerial Photograph Project (Interpretation). SDV340940.

Visible and recorded, containing seven possible hut circles.

Robinson, R., 1986, List of Field Monument Warden Visits 1986 (Un-published). SDV345664.

Department of Environment Field Monument Warden visit 6th March 1986.

Griffiths, D., 1986, Site visit to Cranbrook Castle (Worksheet). SDV344920.

Small circular stone feature noted on rampart north of the south-western entrance. This features appears to be of drystone construction, 1.3 meters in diameter with three courses of stone visible in one place, two below ground level (approximately 0.23 meters) and one above (approximately 0.1 meters). This may be the result of modern vandalism.

Griffith, F. M., 1989, DAP/OI (Aerial Photograph). SDV337744.

Department of Environment, 1991, Cranbrook Castle (Correspondence). SDV326418.

Scheduled Monument Consent granted for removal of trig pillar and replacement with truncated pyramid. Also for repair of eroded areas.

Silvester, R. J. + Quinnell, N. V., 1993, Unfinished Hillforts on the Devon Moors, 25-27 (Article in Serial). SDV62321.

The outer rampart cuts or overlies the banks of an earlier field system. Upwards of 30 clearance cairns are visible in the interior; date unknown. The outer defences on the east and west sides are clearly incomplete. On the north side the inner rampart line is marked by 2 very low linear dumps of stone, which appear to have acted as markers for the front and rear of the rampart. No trace of an accompanying ditch. The original bivallate plan of the hillfort is reinforced by the abrupt termination on the west side of both the outer bank and inner bank and ditch in line. Other aspects of the unfinished hillfort are the irregularities in height of inner rampart on the south side. These probably mark divisions between construction gangs.

Grant, N., 1995, The Occupation of Hillforts in Devon during the Late Roman and Post Roman Periods, 102 (Article in Serial). SDV7954.

Fox, A., 1996, Prehistoric Hillforts in Devon (DNPA Copy), 29-31 (Monograph). SDV360402.

Swete, J. (ed. Gray T. + Rowe, M.), 1997, Travels in Georgian Devon. The Illustrated Journals of the Reverend John Swete. Vol. 1, 12 (Monograph). SDV341166.

Swete visited Cranbrook Castle in 1789. 'This Entrenchment', he says, 'Saxon or Dane, is on an high eminence, commanding a range of country to great extent... The Western mound of this Encampment is the highest, reaching not quite to the top of the hill, and the fosse is at this place of the greatest depth; a plan which appears to have ben skilfully conducted, to the intent, that it might counteract the natural situation which was not so defencible as at other parts… its circumference I judged to be about seven hundred yards for as it seemed nearly Circular, I traversed its diameter from south to north and found it to be nearly two hundred and forty yards'.

Quinnell, H., 1998, Later Prehistoric Pottery Survey, DBID 1774 (Report - Survey). SDV336212.

Perhaps 20 sherds of Middle/Late Iron Age pottery were recovered during excavation. Other non-ceramics were also found including a quern. Current location is unknown

Griffith, F. M., 20/02/1987, DAP/ID, 5, 6 (Aerial Photograph). SDV306073.

Griffith, F. M. + Wilkes, E. M., 2011, In the Footsteps of Pioneering Women; Some Recent Work on Devon Hillforts (Article in Serial). SDV361500.

Griffith, F.M. + Quinnell, H. + Wilkes, E, 2013, Hillforts of Devon, 10, Fig 6 (Monograph). SDV352457.

Unusual due to its stone construction (although understandable considering the abundance of stone locally); in places the outer rampart is exposed to reveal a strongly-built stone face. Enclosure is a sub-square shape (4 hectares in area) with one, two or three ramparts in different places. Entrances on the eastern and south-western sides. Surveyed in recent years by John Collis (1972 and 1979), revealing that Bronze Age reaves may have influenced the layout of the site. Also surveyed by Quinnell for the Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments in England. Description of site included. Interpretations of the site as an incomplete one-phase multi-vallate hillfort, although a more recent alternative suggestion has proposed that this and its close neighbour Prestonbury both had strong defences to their rears, but did not require such conspicuous display on the sides that faced one another.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Visible on aerial photograph.

Ralston, I. + Lock, G., 2017, Atlas of Hillforts (Website). SDV360888.

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

'Cranbrook Castle Camp' shown on modern mapping.

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1003860 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

Cranbrook Castle Hillfort. This monument includes a slight univallate hillfort situated on the summit of Cranbrook Down overlooking the River Teign. The hillfort survives as a square enclosure measuring 160 metres across internally. It is defined to the north by a single rampart. To the east, west and south is a substantial rampart bank with a stone core, some stone revetment and a deep outer ditch. Whilst to the south and south west only is a further ditched counterscarp bank. There are two entrances to the interior, a simple gap with causeway to the east and to the south-west a causewayed gap further protected by a curved extension to the ditched counterscarp bank. The differences in the nature of the defences to the north and south have been attributed to different phases of construction rather than a response to the topographic location of the fort. Partial excavations in 1901 by Baring Gould of two hut circles on the eastern side of the hillfort interior produced some pottery and part of a rotary quern, although these features are not visible as earthworks. Cairns within the northern part of the hillfort are thought to be clearance cairns from past cultivation of the interior.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 05/07/2022 (Website). SDV364039.

(SX 73858900) Cranbrook Castle (NAT) Hill Fort (NR) (OS map, 1963).
Cranbrook Castle, lies on a hill 1100 feet above sea level and overlooks the Teign Gorge, to the north. It can be interpreted as a two phase structure.
1. An outer univallate enclosure of 7.5 hectares, with slight defences, consisting of a bank still up to 1.0 metre high with an external ditch, and two, possibly three, weakly defended entrances. The deep hollow way leading to the south-eastern entrance implies that this phase was of long duration and presumably to be dated by the Bronze Age decorated 'Glastonbury' pottery found in 1900 in hut circle no 2 (SX73948897).
2. A univallate hill fort, of Iron Age 'B' period, with massive ramparts, over 2.0 metres high in places, with external stone revetment, enclosing an area of 5.25 hectares.
The new defences were so sited in relationship to the earlier phase that the gateways remained in use, and a partially bi-vallate rampart was formed, widely spaced on the eastern side and closely spaced on the west and south.
Six possible cairns were located in the interior, but as the 1900 survey found, the interior of the fort is studded with these mounds which also extend over the north slope of the hill. All are about 2 to 3 metres in diameter and 1/2 metre high. In 1900 four hut circles were located by excavation within the inner rampart south of the east entrance, finds included pottery, charcoal and sling-stones. (2-5)
Sources:
2) Proc Devon Arch Soc 30 1972 216-21 (J Collis)
3) T Devon Ass 33 1901 129-35 (S Baring Gould)
4) Annotated Record Map (Default value used to record large numbers of archive items which are not separately catalogued. See Monument Recording Guidelines for details of use) Corr 6" (Lady A Fox June 1950)
5) VCH Devon 1 1906 365-6

Cambridge University, 24/04/1975, CUC/BCJ, 10-12 (Aerial Photograph). SDV306069.

Jones, J. P., Circa 1820, Ms Top. Devon e1, fol 3/4 (Un-published). SDV306043.

The Rev. J. P. Jones, writing circa 1820, says that 'in the area of Cranbrook Castle formerly might be traced a great number of divisions formed by ranges of stones dividing the area into squares and parallelograms. But these divisions have of late years almost entirely disappeared, the interior having been plowed up'. I however traced a few of these lines extending over the Heath at the sourthern part beyond the fortification where they soon disappeared being concealed by the furze. Dor. Borlase has described similar divisions in his account of Chun Castle, but I never noticed them any where except at Cranbook..'

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV5936 - ROTARY QUERN (Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2200 BC to 42 AD)
• FDV5935 - SHERD (Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2200 BC to 42 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV8605 - Excavation at Cranbrook Castle

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