More information : SX 76239748. The cropmark of a bank and ditch on the
air photograph (b) is visible on the ground as a subrectangular
enclosure. One side can be traced and parts of two others. It
is possible that it survives in the hedge pattern on the other
side of the road. Described by Davidson under the name of
Lethen Castle (c). (1)
Lethen or Leden Castle is the name of a reputed camp, formerly
supposed to be in Colbrook, but believed to be in the Woodland
tything of Crediton. It is raised plot of ground on the point
of a hill, and all that remains of its defences is a bank about
200 yards long, in form of part of an oval. It commands
extensive views to the east and north-west, and may perhaps
have been the site of a large beacon. Its name, if it be
Anglo-Saxon, may appear to connect it with the Roman Colford, a
neighbouring hamlet, which is traditionally said to have been a
Roman settlement. (2)
SX 76199748. The remains of an earthwork, formerly enclosing
about 1.2ha., is situated at 150m. O.D. on the highest point of
a north-east to south-west ridge.
It is bisected by a road to the south-east of which the former
extent is vaguely traceable but quite unsurveyable through
merging with a natural fall in the ground. To the northwest of
the road the defence is now represented by an artificial scarp
about 3.0m. high. This turns sharply at the southwest end where
a fragment of bank 0.6m. high is accompanied by an outer ditch
0.4m. deep. At the northeast end a very spread bank 0.8m. high
appears to be an inturned entrance. The ridgeway road may have
utilized it at some stage but now seems to rest on the
accompanying inturn.
The earthwork is typical of the small I.A. type defended
enclosures or settlements. It is unrecognised locally and the
historic name Lethen Castle can now only be attributed to
Davidson.
Surveyed at 1:2500 on M.S.D. (3)
A rapid examination of air photography (4a) shows this earthwork, and suggests that there are traces of the bank south of the road at the southwest end of the feature. (4) |