Motte and Bailey Castle, Hembury
Description:
Motte and bailey built into the Iron Age enclosure/hillfort. The mount is locally called Danes Camp. It has a hollow centre 3.6m deep and is ditched. The mound is 27m diameter and 6m high. This is surrounded by a level platform with a scarped edge descending to the level of the interior of the camp. It has been noted that the bailey has been 'mutilated by excavation'. The hillfort was probably utilised as an outer bailey. A mid 13th century document describes it as 'the old castle which was called Hembury'. It was possibly a campaign castle of the Norman Conquest, but is likely to have gone out of use soon after.
Status: Scheduled Monument
Country: England
County: Devon
District: South Hams
Parish: Buckfastleigh
Grid Reference:
SX725684
Map Reference:
[EPSG:27700] 272540, 68430
Period/Subject: 1066 - 1539 - MOTTE AND BAILEY
Identifiers:
[ADS] Depositor Id: 105153
[ADS] Associated Id: HBSMR Id: MNA106213
[ADS] Import RCN: NTSMR-MNA106213
People Involved:
[Publisher] National Trust
Cite record using this URL:
https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archsearch/record?titleId=1729646
