Wooston Castle

Nearest town:
Crediton (13km NE)
OS reference:
SX76538969
OS sheet:
191
Latitude:
50° 41' 35.25 N
Longitude:
3° 44' 53.91 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Wooston Castle (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Looking approx west to Prestonbury Castle

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 31, 2017
Image of Wooston Castle (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Impressive defences, these. Albeit a bit wonky.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 31, 2017
Image of Wooston Castle (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Western flank of inner enclosure above the River Teign

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 31, 2017
Image of Wooston Castle (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Southern flank of the inner enclosure: pretty powerful, too.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 31, 2017
Image of Wooston Castle (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

The cross bank... note how this idiosyncratic, yet very substantial ‘fort is sited with higher ground to the south. Most odd

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 31, 2017
Image of Wooston Castle (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

The massive outer cross bank isolating the promontory...

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 31, 2017
Image of Wooston Castle (Hillfort) by juamei

Open Source Environment agency LIDAR

Image credit: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2015.
juamei
juamei Jan 28, 2016

Articles

Miscellaneous

Wooston Castle
Hillfort
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 30, 2017

Occupying a north facing spur between Marston Down and the course of the River Teign this complex promontory fort is, for me, by far the finest of a local triumvirate also including Prestonbury Castle and Cranbrook Castle, consisting of a pretty standard defended enclosure supplemented by a massive outer cross bank. This latter feature is much more powerful than the inner defences and, unusually in my experience, sited a substantial distance beyond, anticipating, perhaps, the ‘aggressive defence’ of medieval concentric castles. There are further earthworks covering the approach to the site, these including a ‘hollow way’ which Pastscape would appear to regard as contemporary and not, as I assumed, a later stock control feature – a proto-barbican, if you like. Clearly the architects of this ‘fort had big ideas and, furthermore, were not afraid to put them into practice.

This intriguing, sleeping behemoth of a site is suitable for family visits as well as the dedicated hill fort head since it is serviced by its own woodland car park reached via a minor road north of Wooston Farm.

During my visit local volunteers were engaged in a geophysical survey... so chances are Wooston Castle may soon reclaim its former standing amongst Dartmoor’s elite Iron Age enclosures.

Sites within 20km of Wooston Castle

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