Berry Castle
Overview
Heritage Category: Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number: 1002539
Date first listed: 01-Aug-1961
Map
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Location
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
County: Devon
District: North Devon (District Authority)
Parish: Witheridge
National Grid Reference: SS 83449 17061
Summary
Romano-British enclosure called Berry Castle, 460m west of Queen Dart Cross.
Reasons for Designation
The Romano-British enclosure called Berry Castle is an unusual monument. The ditch survives as a largely buried feature and the banks are also clearly visible. The rectangular shape with distinctive ‘playing card’ corners suggests a strong Roman influence regarding its construction, whilst it does not appear to conform precisely to any specific Roman monument class. It is a defensive structure, possibly a defended farm or small scale settlement. Despite some cutting of the southern ditch by the road it survives well and will contain important archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, function, development, use, date and landscape context.
Details
This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 5 November 2015. The record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.
The monument includes a Romano-British enclosure situated on a ridge between the valleys of the Little Dart River and a tributary to it. The enclosure survives as a rectangular enclosure with rounded corners measuring up to 26m long by 19m wide internally, defined by a rampart, wide ditch and counterscarp bank. There is a causewayed entrance on the eastern side and the southern ditch has been partially cut by a road.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number: DV 470
Legacy System: RSM - OCN
Sources
Other
PastScape Monument No:- 35599
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official listing