Bury Castle, Selworthy

Bury Castle is an Iron Age hillfort near Selworthy, Somerset, England.[1] It has been designated as a scheduled monument.[2]

Bury Castle
Selworthy, Somerset, England
The site of Bury Castle
Bury Castle is located in Somerset
Bury Castle
Bury Castle
Coordinates51°12′48″N 3°33′04″W / 51.2134°N 3.5512°W / 51.2134; -3.5512
Grid referencegrid reference SS917471
TypeHillfort
Site information
OwnerNational Trust
Open to
the public
Yes

History

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Plan of the Bury Castle site

Bury Castle was built on a spur of land overlooking the surrounding terrain.[3] The Bury Castle hillfort covers 0.2 hectares (0.49 acres) in internal area. The main enclosure has a single rampart and ditch, with steep drops on the north, east and south sides. The bank is up to 1.6 metres (5 ft 3 in) high with a ditch 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) deep.[4] There is an additional rampart 30 metres (98 ft) to the west, with a deep ditch. The rampart is revetted with drystone walling.[1][5]

Today

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Bury Castle is today protected as a Scheduled Monument[2] and owned by the National Trust.[1] It has been added to the Heritage at Risk Register due to vulnerability from scrub or tree growth.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Bury Castle". National Monument Record. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Bury Castle, an Iron Age defended settlement". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Bury Castle, an Iron Age defended settlement, No:24025". Somerset Historic Environment Record. Somerset County Council. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  4. ^ "Bury Castle, Selworthy". Exmoor Historic Environment Record. Exmoor National Park. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  5. ^ "Bury Castle". Exmoor Historic Environment Record. English Heritage. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  6. ^ "Bury Castle, an Iron Age defended settlement, Selworthy, West Somerset — Exmoor (NP)". Heritage at Risk. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2013.

Further reading

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  • Adkins l and R, 1992. A Field Guide to Somerset Archaeology.
  • Burrow E J, 1924. Ancient Earthworks and Camps of Somerset.
  • Burrow I, 1981. Hillforts and Hilltop Settlements of Somerset.