Wooston Castle

Summary

Slight univallate hillfort with extensive outworks, collectively called Wooston Castle.

Reasons for Designation

Slight univallate hillforts are defined as enclosures of various shapes, generally between 1ha and 10ha in size, situated on or close to hilltops and defined by a single line of earthworks, the scale of which is relatively small. They date to between the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age (eighth - fifth centuries BC), the majority being used for 150 to 200 years prior to their abandonment or reconstruction. Slight univallate hillforts have generally been interpreted as stock enclosures, redistribution centres, places of refuge and permanent settlements. The earthworks generally include a rampart, narrow level berm, external ditch and counterscarp bank, while access to the interior is usually provided by either simple gaps in the earthwork or an inturned rampart. Outworks are limited to only a few examples. Slight univallate hillforts are important for understanding the transition between Bronze Age and Iron Age communities. Wooston Castle is extremely unusual because it has a complex array of outworks. Wooston Castle survives well and will contain important archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, development, use and landscape context.

History

See Details.

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 5 November 2015. This 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 slight univallate hillfort with extensive outworks situated on a prominent ridge on the southern side of the steep valley of the River Teign. The hillfort survives as an oval inner enclosure measuring 160m long by 140m wide internally defined by a rampart. To the south the rampart is ditched externally and extends beyond the eastern side of the enclosure. There is an inturned entrance to the south. 80m to the south is a second rampart and ditch connected to the first by a bank. The second rampart also has a south facing inturned entrance. A rock cut hollow way meanders to the south east from this entrance. The hollow way is partially flanked on both sides by banks and extends through a third rampart and ditch. 220m to the south east is a fourth rampart and ditch with an inturned entrance at the western end.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

DV 265

Legacy System:

RSM - OCN

Sources

Other
PastScape Monument No:- 445354

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