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Somerset Historic Environment Record

34164

Site Name:	Daws Castle, Watchet
SCHEDULED MONUMENT:	Daw's Castle [No:33712]
Civil Parish:	Watchet
Comprises:	PRN 15181 Excavation (1982), Daws Castle, Watchet
Grid Ref:	ST 062 433 (ST 04 SE)
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Image:
	HER 34164 - Photo by Somerset County Council (February 1982)

Public access:

As far as we are aware all or part of this site is an English Heritage property open to the public at certain times. [Information last updated on 07 April 2003]

Details:

Remains of an enclosure which may have been very extensive, but much has been lost in landslips. The principle remaining feature is a scarp c200 yards long running in a curved line from E to N with its convexity pointing S. At both E and W ends there is a bank running along the crest of the scarp for a short distance. Two further portions of the bank are visible just above the cliff. {1}

Enclosure apparently extended for 300 yards E. {2}

The enclosure does not appear to be of IA origin - may be the remains of a Burghal Hidage fort. {3}

Univallate hillfort, an uncertain proportion of which has been lost by coastal erosion. The site is used as a council rubbish tip. The defences consist of a bank c2m high (maximum) with a slight terrace in front on the SW side. On the E the defences are barely traceable, but it seems clear that the modern road follows the line of the ditch on this side. At the cliff top on the W side the rampart appears to branch into two, one part turning E close to the top of the cliff and this may be the 20 yard length rampart described by VCH, but the main line of the bank is continued as a scarp right to the cliff top. At the E end of the site late C19 limekilns (PRN 30009) have also destroyed the earthworks. {4}

Part of the site was excavated by T Ambrose in 1971 but there are no records and the actual location of the excavation is not known. {5}

A number of E-W orientated graves were found in or near Daws Castle in the C19 and are thought to be C5 and possibly of Irish origin. {6}

Remains were first found when excavating for the limekilns (PRN 30009) and more bones were discovered later. These were reinterred "higher up the field" by the charcoal burner. {7}

The site covers several acres but the only marked feature is a scarp to the SW and S above the road. {8}

The possible minster nearby (PRN 34175) may add weight to the theory that the site was the Saxon burh. {11}

Scheduling revised with new national number on 12 March 2003 (was Somerset 378). The limekiln (PRN 16053) is no longer within the scheduled area. {16}

The 1982 excavations are re-interpreted to show two phases: one in the early C9 and one as part of a more organised system of fortifications in the later C9. {17}

References:

Record created in May 1984

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