Bury Castle, Selworthy

Bury Castle is an Iron Age hill fort near Selworthy, Somerset, England.[1] It has been scheduled as an ancient monument.[2]

Not to be confused with Berry Castle, Somerset; Bury Castle, Brompton Regis; or Berry Castle, Black Dog.

For the medieval moated manor house in Bury, Lancashire, see Bury Castle.

Bury Castle
Selworthy, Somerset, England
The site of Bury Castle
Bury Castle
Coordinates	51.2134°N 3.5512°W / 51.2134; -3.5512
Grid reference	grid reference SS917471
Type	Hillfort
Site information
Owner	National Trust
Open to the public	Yes

History

Plan of the Bury Castle site

Bury Castle was built on a spur of land overlooking the surrounding terrain.[3] The Bury Castle hillfort covers 0.2 hectares (0.49 acres) in internal area. The main enclosure has a single rampart and ditch, with steep drops on the north, east and south sides. The bank is up to 1.6 metres (5 ft 3 in) high with a ditch 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) deep.[4] There is an additional rampart 30 metres (98 ft) to the west, with a deep ditch. The rampart is revetted with drystone walling.[1][5]

Today

Bury Castle is today protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument[2] and owned by the National Trust.[1] It has been added to the Heritage at Risk Register due to vulnerability from scrub or tree growth.[6]

See also

• Castles in Great Britain and Ireland
• List of castles in England
• List of hill forts and ancient settlements in Somerset
• Hillforts in Britain
• Hillfort

References

1. "Bury Castle". National Monument Record. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
2. "Bury Castle, an Iron Age defended settlement". National Heritage List for England. Historic England. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
3. "Bury Castle, an Iron Age defended settlement, No:24025". Somerset Historic Environment Record. Somerset County Council. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
4. "Bury Castle, Selworthy". Exmoor Historic Environment Record. Exmoor National Park. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
5. "Bury Castle". Exmoor Historic Environment Record. English Heritage. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
6. "Bury Castle, an Iron Age defended settlement, Selworthy, West Somerset — Exmoor (NP)". Heritage at Risk. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 2013-10-22. Retrieved 20 October 2013.

Further reading

• Adkins l and R, 1992. A Field Guide to Somerset Archaeology.
• Burrow E J, 1924. Ancient Earthworks and Camps of Somerset.
• Burrow I, 1981. Hillforts and Hilltop Settlements of Somerset.