Castle 175m north of Stone Barton

Reasons for Designation

Ringworks are medieval fortifications built and occupied from the late Anglo-Saxon period to the later 12th century. They comprised a small defended area containing buildings which was surrounded or partly surrounded by a substantial ditch and a bank surmounted by a timber palisade or, rarely, a stone wall. Occasionally a more lightly defended embanked enclosure, the bailey, adjoined the ringwork. Ringworks acted as strongholds for military operations and in some cases as defended aristocratic or manorial settlements. They are rare nationally with only 200 recorded examples and less than 60 with baileys. As such, and as one of a limited number and very restricted range of Anglo-Saxon and Norman fortifications, ringworks are of particular significance to our understanding of the period.

The castle north of Stone Barton survives well and contains archaeological information relating to Norman military activity in this part of Devon.

Details

This monument includes the earthwork remains of a castle, known as a ringwork, situated on top of a high hill with commanding views between two large river valleys to the north and south. Central to the site is a sub-circular enclosed area which measures 38m from north to south and 34.2m from east to west and is defined by large banks. To the north the banks measure 9.8m wide and are up to 1.4m high when viewed externally. To the north west they measure 5.5m wide and up to 1.7m high externally and 0.7m high internally. Some spreading has occurred to a width of some 2.3m downslope and this material partly overlies another bank. The enclosure curves round to the west where it attains a width of 8m and is 1.3m high externally and 0.8m high internally. Undulations in height and changes in width would seem to indicate the presence of tumble around stony walls. To the south the area forms a largely flattened bank which measures 5.3m wide and 0.1m high internally. To the east, the enclosure bank measures 9.7m wide and 0.6m high. There are some internal features visible within the enclosed area including an elongated bank which runs from the eastern outer bank to the west and peters out. This bank measures 4.5m wide and 0.2m high. There is also a sub-circular mound in the north west segment which has a diameter of 6.5m and is 0.2m high. To the north of the enclosure, downslope and partly overlain by it, is a large curving bank. This measures 3.4m wide, 1.8m high downslope and 0.4m high upslope. It curves around the enclosure and veers off in a south easterly direction. To the east of this curving bank is a D-shaped spread of material with a hollowed centre. This measures 8.4m long and 5.4m wide and is 0.6m high. To the south of the curving bank lies a circular enclosure which has an internal diameter of 10.2m. The enclosing banks measure 4.2m wide and up to 0.4m high internally. A rectangular structure lies to the east of this enclosure and south of the curving bank. Aligned in an east-west direction and defined by banks, it measures 16.1m long by 14.3m wide internally. The banks are 3.2m wide and 0.3m to 0.5m high. A further large bank lies 19m to the south of the curving bank. This measures 3.4m wide and 0.5m high and occupies the south eastern quadrant of the site. To the west of the large enclosure is a sub-rectangular feature defined by stony banks which runs parallel to the western field boundary and appears to partly underlie it. This feature measures 13.2m long and 3.2m wide internally and is defined by a 0.7m wide bank standing up to 0.3m high. To the south of the enclosure and partly overlain by material from it, are two banks. The first measures 4.2m wide and is 0.4m high. It runs south towards the field boundary which cuts it at its southernmost extent. The enclosure decreases in height as it trends towards the south. To the east is the second bank. This measures 9.2m wide and 0.6m high. It is aligned NNW-SSE.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

30322

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS71SW1,

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.