Monument record MDO666 - The Castle, Cattistock

An irregular oval enclosure interpreted as an Iron Age hillfort. The slight earthwork around the top of the hill appears to have been formed by enhancing the natural slope, though it has been suggested that this is an entirely natural formation. An area of around 4½ acres is enclosed and there are two entrances. The earthworks were digitally plotted from aerial photographs during the Upper Frome and Sydling Valleys AIM project.

An irregular oval enclosure which appears to have been formed by scarping the natural slope of the hill, although it has been suggested that this is entirely a natural formation. There are two ramped causewayed entrances, on the N.E. and N.W. About 50 yards N. of the enclosure is a steep lynchet. <4> [No additional information]. [Poor description; and classified as Ro.] The top of CASTLE HILL is fairly flat, and has been cultivated in the past, giving rise to a series of Md. strip lynchets, which have however, not disturbed a barrow. The hill top is encircled by a scarp which averages 7.0 m. wide and 3.5 m. high. A natural defence is given by a steep slope of the hill on the S.E. and S. sides, but this is lacking on the N. and W. Causeways lead from the earthwork on the N. part of E. and W. sides. The W. one leads to a gentle slope, but that on the E. leads to the edge of the steep hillside and appears to be comparatively useless. These breaks in the scarp are simply ramps, not inturned or out-turned entrances. It is very unlikely that the earthwork is natural; any part of the scarp could be to some extent natural, but that the hilltop should be encircled by a completely natural scarp seems an untenable theory. There are no comparable earthworks of Ro. or Md. date, and THE CASTLE may be an unfinished hillfort of early type. A lesser possibility is a Saxon burgh - a similar scarp exists around the hilltop at OLD WARREN (on 46 NE) 8 miles to the S., and which has been deemed a probable Saxon burgh. In any case as a defensive position it is not outstanding, and today the nearest source of water is 600 metres to the W. The plan depicted on the O.S. 1/2500 is correct as amended. See AP CPE/UK/1974/3383. <5> A slight, but surveyable, rampart exists to be the south of the E. causeway, this has a max. height of 0.3 m. There are no visible surface indications of habitation, and no external signs of defence. <6> No change. An enigmatic earthwork, clear on O.S. A.Ps. but not the internal and external strip cultivation. O.S. 1/2500 survey revised. <7> An irregular oval enclosure interpreted as an Iron Age hillfort. The slight earthwork around the top of the hill appears to have been formed by enhancing the natural slope, though it has been suggested that this is an entirely natural formation. An area of around 4½ acres is enclosed and there are two entrances. The earthworks were digitally plotted from aerial photographs during the Upper Frome and Sydling Valleys AIM project <11>

Record last edited

Nov 16 2022 4:09PM