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KINGS CASTLE

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The earthwork remains of an Iron Age hillfort covering most of the hill is much mutilated by quarrying activity. It is also heavily wooded. Human remains were found in 1914 but have not been dated. Various Neolithic flints including arrowheads, borers, scrapers, cores, blades and a knife have been found on the surface and were deposited with Taunton Museum. Two hoards of roman coins have also been found (see ST 02 NE XX). Scheduled.

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[Centred ST 0967 2820] CAMP [G.T.] (1)

King's Castle, Castle Hill, Wiveliscombe, an earthwork
occupying nearly all the hill, much mutilated and defaced by
quarrying on a large scale. Except for the central area, which
is arable land, the remainder is considerably wooded. There was
probably an inner rampart originally, several feet in height
above the central area; below this a considerable scarp
followed by a ditch and bank and a second scarp below.

Much-weathered human bones were found in 1914, lying on the
rampart slopes and ditch by the late C.A. Lovegrove - (Somerset
County Mus. Acc. No. A704-6) and also at another time a red
sandstone spindle whorl was found while ploughing (illustrated)
(2) [For plan see Illustrations Card]

Multivallate Hill fort (4). (2-4)

This appears to be a univallate hillfort. Only at the southern
end have the defences, a rampart with outer ditch and counter
scarp bank - survived major mutilation by quarrying. Here there
is a well preserved staggered entrance.

Re-surveyed at 1:2500

Many Neolithic flints, including arrowheads, borers, scrapers,
cores, blades, and a knife; were found on the surface of the
hillfort in 1950 and 1952 by W.A. Seaby. They are in Taunton
Museum. (5)

ST 097 282. Castle Hill, Wiveliscombe. Listed in gazetteer as a multivallate hillfort covering 4.0ha. (6)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1962

( 2) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

(H. St. George Gray) 92, 1946 Page(s)65-7

( 3) edited by William Page 1911 The Victoria history Somerset, volume two

The Victoria history of the counties of England (C.H. Bothamley) 2, 1911 Page(s)505

( 4) Ordnance Survey 1962 Ordnance Survey map of southern Britain in the Iron Age

Page(s)37

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 GHP 26-FEB-66

( 6) by A H A Hogg 1979 British hillforts : an index

BAR British series1 (1974) - 62, 1979 Page(s)198

( 7) Scheduled Monument Notification

07-JUL-1999

RELATED MONUMENTS

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Description

MONUMENT NO. 188197
WIVELISCOMBE

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A large hoard of Roman coins was found in 1946 at a depth of less than a foot within 'Castle' camp by Charles Hancock, when ploughing, in the north ea...

MONUMENT NO. 188204
WIVELISCOMBE

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Several Roman coins were found in the hillfort in 1711.

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