THE CASTLE

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Description

DESCRIPTION

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A medieval woodland bank or late prehistoric non-defensive enclosure. The monument takes the form of an oval enclosure measuring 310 metres N-S with a weak inner bank of an average 8 metre width. To the south-west and north-east are two entrances, both causewayed and measuring circa 4 metres in width.

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MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

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(ST 63060773). The Castle (NR). (1)

The Castle at ST 631078 is a simple Iron Age non-defensive
univallate enclosure covering 9 acres with an external ditch 15
ft to 20 ft wide. The entrance on the west, now used as a
cart-track, is probably original with a good internal hook on
the north side extending 50 ft. The bank, which can be traced
all along its perimeter, is the wrong shape for a park pale or
warren boundary. (2-3)

'The Castle', (name confirmed at Castle Farm, formerly Three
Gates Farm), is situated upon the summit of a low hill. The
work roughly oval in plan, measures, overall, 310.0m
north-south by a maximum 190.0m transversely and comprises a
weak inner bank of 8.0m average width and, in height, 0.3m
internally, and 0.7m externally, where best preserved, with now
unsurveyable traces of an outer ditch. The bank lies within
woodland which covers the site and the ditch lies in pasture
outside except on the north-east where both bank and ditch lie
out in pasture. On the north-west, the bank is barely
traceable, and around the southern end and for much of the east
side is reduced to an outward-facing scarp, 6.0 to 8.0m wide
and 0.7 to 1.0m high.

To the south-west and to the north-east are two original
diagonally-opposed entraces, both causewayed and each about
4.0m in width. At the south-west entrance, the bank is inturned
for about 14.0m.

Published 1:2500 AM Survey and MSD revised. (4)

While the site may be a late prehistoric enclosure it is more likely to be a medieval woodland bank, perhaps surrounding a coppice in this area of unenclosed woodland pasture at the western edge of Blackmoor Forest. The apparent inturns on the SW entrance appear to be, at least partly, the result of hollowing of the trackway which leads to an area of gravel and/or clay pits within the southern part of the enclosure. The enclosure certainly pre-dates the Hilfield Perambulation, which dates to the mid-16th or later 17th century. (5, 5A)

SOURCE TEXT

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

EH Field Investigation/23-Nov-2005

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 25" 1901

( 2) General reference

RCHM Ms File (unpublished revision of Dorset 1) NO 20 22.9.76

( 3) General reference

A/Ps (RAF CPE/UK/1975 2052-3 11.4.47)

( 4) Field Investigators Comments

F1 ASP 11-NOV-77

( 5A) Field Investigators Comments

Barker, K and Seaward, D 1990 Proc Dorset NHAS 112, 5-22.

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