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Summary

Remains of a possible Iron Age hill camp called Place Wood or Tower Hill Castle recorded by Amery (1873).

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX77SE14
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 445223
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77SE/30
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX77SE14

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Alternate Type) ENCLOSURE (Constructed, Unknown date)
• (Alternate Type) HILLFORT (Constructed, Iron Age - 700 BC (Between) to 42 AD (Between))

Full description

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

Outline of north-east and south sides shown on 19th century Tithe Map. Field Number 702, Higher Castle and Field Number 742, Lower Castle which were arable in 1839.

Amery, P. F. S., 1873, Some Hitherto Unrecorded Hillfortresses near Ashburton, 262 (Article in Serial). SDV164509.

A camp near Ashburton was first recognised by the name of two fields on the site, known as Castle Parks, in which flints are frequently found after ploughing. The road leading to the spot is known as Tower Hill. Remains can still be traced by undulations of the ground.

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

'Camp (Remains of)' shown on 19th century map. Map object partly based on this source.

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

Hitherto unrecorded hillfortresses near Ashburton. Remains of ancient fosse can still be traced by undulations of the ground in two fields called Castle Parks.

Victoria County History, 1906, The Victoria History of the County of Devon, 602 (Article in Serial). SDV238214.

An ancient trackway is traceable down the hillside to the fords on the River Dart

Amery, J. S., 1924, (Presidential Address) The Ashburton of past days: its manners, customs and inhabitants, 44 (Article in Serial). SDV315287.

On Tower Hill, between Woodencliff Wood and Place Wood are very slight remains of a circular camp in two fields called Castle Parks. Traces of a fosse are perceptible from the north, by the east, to the south. The escarpment does not give the impression of a strong defence, except for its natural position. Classed as a simple defensive enclosure (Class C). An ancient trackway is traceable down the hillside to the fords on the River Dart (VCH, 1906). The site measures 300 feet in length from north-west to south-east, about 225 feet in width, and is rather les than 1 1/2 acres in area.

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

Remains of Iron Age hill camp called Place Wood or Tower Hill Castle.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1951, SX77SE14 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV260862.

(19/07/1951) Scarp has been ploughed out from A (SX 76147142) to B (SX 76187141) but a dark curvilinear crop mark appears to mark site of ditch at foot of scarp here. From B to C (SX 76167135) the scarp is still fairly strong being about 4.5 metres wide and 1.25 metres high. There is no sign of ditch here. Remainder of circuit from C to A has been ploughed out although slight change in slope may be seen this more or less follows line of 600 foot contour. The interior is arable but no surface finds.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

A walled enclosure is visible with a slight rampart or bank on the north-east side.

Agricultural Development Advisory Service, 1995, Place Wood Barn (Worksheet). SDV285649.

Site visited on 9th February 1995. Bank on south side (on western edge of wood) slightly poached and bare earth. East edge of site displays 2 metre high bank and ditch and possible outer bank within woodland.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

'Camp' shown on modern mapping as a crescentric feature to the south-west of Place Wood. A curving boundary continues to the north-west. Map object partly based on this source.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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