| Summary: | This triple ditched enclosure is an archaeological site which was identified through aerial photography in the 1980s. It lies on the crest of a spur of land running south-east from the hilltop occupied by Dolbury Iron Age Hillfort. Both sites lie on the National Trust’s Killerton Estate in East Devon. The hillfort being 230m north of Killerton House and the enclosure 900m east of it. The aerial photograph shows the clear outline of the Budlake site and its playing card shape gave it the appearance of the standard plan of a Roman fort.
The magnetometry and earth resistance survey carried out by the National Trust in 2019 supports the identification of the site as a fort. Only one entrance identified in southern defences, facing a deep stone quarry. As with the aerial photographic evidence no entrances were recorded on the other sides. The central part of fort/survey area lost due to presence of the gas pipeline. The northeast end of the fort is not visible in the surveys. The survey shows evidence of quarrying and other ground disturbance on the interior. However, a rectilinear feature 20m by 6-7m within the fort and aligned parallel to the southern defences, may be evidence of a timber building such as a barrack block. |
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