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DOWN END EARTHWORKS

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DESCRIPTION

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A Medieval Motte and Bailey site has been identified as earthworks. The siteis located is located on Chisley Mount or Chidley Mount (now called Bally Field) east of Down End village. The earthworks consist of a motte and two baileys on its northern side. The motte has been formed by scarping the western end of a natural ridge where it terminates on low, level ground. Its eastern side, in private gardens, is poorly defined and several pits have been dug into the top. The single bank of the inner bailey, and the twin banks of the outer bailey, have been constructed on level ground, not by scarping the slope. The banks of the inner and outer bailey end abruptly on the west. Excavations in 1908 recovered Norman and later pottery and iron objects. This is a Scheduled monument.

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[ST 30924135] MOTTE AND BAILEYS [G.T.] (1)

At 'Bally Field', Downsend, Puriton, is a motte, with baileys, once known as Chisley or Chidley Mount. The hill has been scarped and trenched to form baileys with natural obstacles completing their defences. There are early references to potsherds, including Samian ware, and Roman coins being found here (3). Excavations by Chater and Major in 1908 (5) found Norman and later pottery and iron objects. The site of a building, possibly a modern cow-shed, on a platform halfway up the motte, was marked by tiles but no other signs. No evidence of Roman remains, or any form of building of stone or timber, was found. The excavators appear to have had doubts as to the defensive nature of the earthworks. The castle would have belonged to the De Columbers. (2-5)

This is a motte with two baileys on its northern side. The motte has been formed by scraping the western end of a natural
ridge where it terminates on low, level,ground. Its eastern side, in private gardens, is poorly defined and several pits have been dug into the top. The single bank of the inner bailey, and the twin banks of the outer bailey, have been constructed on level ground, not by scarping the slope. These banks end abruptly on the west, with no indication that they ever continued along this side which was possibly an area of marsh. Resurveyed at 1:2500. See G.Ps. AO/64/269/4-7, and air photographs. A 12th century rim sherd from the 1905 excavation is in Taunton Castle Museum, Acc.No. A 3104. (6)

A plan and description text are present. (7)

ST 309414: Down End Earthworks. SAM no 359. (8)

Scheduled, RSM Number 33714. (9)

The motte and bailey referred to above (1-9) has been mapped from aerial photographs and is as described above. (10-11)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1961

( 2) edited by William Page 1911 The Victoria history Somerset, volume two

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)518

( 3a) Externally held archive reference

Aubrey MS 15, f 122 Bodleian

( 3b) Externally held archive reference

Skinner Add MSS 33716, f 105 Brit Mus

( 3) edited by William Page 1906 The Victoria history of the county of Somerset: volume one

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)360

( 4) Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society, Bath

23, 1877 Page(s)35

( 5) Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society, Bath

AG Chater & AF Major 55, 1910 Page(s)162

( 6c) Aerial photograph

RAF CPE/UK/1924/4014-5 dated Jan 16 1947

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

F1 GHP 24-SEP-64

( 7) by Edward J Burrow 1924 Ancient earthworks and camps of Somerset

Published 1924. Page(s)124-5

( 8) Scheduled Monument Notification

DOE SAMs Somerset 31-Dec-1987 16

( 9) Scheduled Monument Notification

Schedule amendment 03-JUL-2000

(10) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

RAF/CPE/UK/1944 2188-2189 23-JAN-1947

(11) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

RAF/58/1421 0210-0211 02-APR-1954

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