Featured: Hare and Tabor T Shirts for discerning antiquarians

Hare and Tabor T Shirts for discerning antiquarians

Random Image


Maen Crwn

Inscribed Across the Landscape: The Cursus Monuments of Great Britain

Inscribed Across the Landscape: The Cursus Monuments of Great Britain

Who's Online

There are currently, 436 guests and 1 members online.

You are a guest. To join in, please register for free by clicking here

Sponsors

<< Our Photo Pages >> Bat's Castle - Hillfort in England in Somerset

Submitted by DavidHarcombe on Monday, 10 July 2017  Page Views: 13755

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Bat's Castle
Country: England County: Somerset Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Minehead  Nearest Village: Carhampton
Map Ref: SS988422  Landranger Map Number: 181
Latitude: 51.170058N  Longitude: 3.448889W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
3 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
4

Internal Links:
External Links:

I have visited· I would like to visit

moorwind hevveh would like to visit

mrcrow has visited here

Bat's Castle
Bat's Castle submitted by AndyGB : Bat's Castle from the air (Vote or comment on this photo)
Hillfort in Somerset. Bat's Castle is on the hill behind (ie west of) Dunster's charming medieval stone castle, itself beside Dunster's modern town centre. It's probably about a 10 - 15 minutes walk up the hill towards this ancient hill-fort (and also some Cromwellian artillery ramparts - from where Parliamentary forces bombarded Dunster's stone castle and town centre in the 1640s English civil war). Bat's Castle is circular with rough stone walls, with some of its layout suggesting parts of it might have been used to corral animals in during both peace & war.

Slightly below it & to its west is a hillside site which appears to be an ancient farm with a low embankment around it. The higher part of the enclosure suggests the residential area. The lower western part is where animals would probably have been kept - deliberately lower so that their slurry flowed away from the humans who would presumably have been living slightly higher up the hillside than the animals.

Surprisingly, Bat's Castle has been associated by some (not by all - some tourist officials in Dunster were unaware of this until I showed them a booklet making this claim) with the legendary King Arthur in his youth. The suggestion is that Bat's Castle was his first command, & sallying out from here he fought & conquered a local pirate/warlord who was much troubling the local people at the time. When? Probably around 470 - 480 AD, if this story is to be relied on.
You may be viewing yesterday's version of this page. To see the most up to date information please register for a free account.


Bat's Castle
Bat's Castle submitted by AndyGB : Bat's Castle from the air, looking west (Vote or comment on this photo)

Bat's Castle
Bat's Castle submitted by Bladup : Inside Bat's Castle. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Bat's Castle
Bat's Castle submitted by Bladup : The marvelous Bat's Castle. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Bat's Castle
Bat's Castle submitted by Bladup : The earthwork to the south east of Bat's castle. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Bat's Castle
Bat's Castle submitted by Bladup : The Stoney bank at Bat's Castle.

Bat's Castle
Bat's Castle submitted by Bladup : The entrance at Bat's Castle.

Bat's Castle
Bat's Castle submitted by Bladup : Bat's Castle.

Bat's Castle
Bat's Castle submitted by Bladup

Bat's Castle
Bat's Castle submitted by Bladup : Over the bank and ditch at Bat's Castle.

Bat's Castle
Bat's Castle submitted by Bladup : Bat's Castle.

Bat's Castle
Bat's Castle submitted by Bladup : Bat's Castle, the large bank and ditch at the north of the fort.

Bat's Castle
Bat's Castle submitted by Bladup : Looking over Gallax hillfort to the entrance a little to the north west of Bat's Castle at SS984426.

Bat's Castle
Bat's Castle submitted by Bladup : This is Gallax hillfort a little to the north west of Bat's Castle at SS984426.

Bat's Castle
Bat's Castle submitted by Bladup

Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.
Click here to see more info for this site

Nearby sites

Click here to view sites on an interactive OS map

Key: Red: member's photo, Blue: 3rd party photo, Yellow: other image, Green: no photo - please go there and take one, Grey: site destroyed

Download sites to:
KML (Google Earth)
GPX (GPS waypoints)
CSV (Garmin/Navman)
CSV (Excel)

To unlock full downloads you need to sign up as a Contributory Member. Otherwise downloads are limited to 50 sites.


Turn off the page maps and other distractions

Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 1.7km N 349° St. Leonard's Well (Dunster)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SS9850443867)
 3.3km WSW 255° Timberscobe Wood Hill Fort Hillfort (SS956414)
 4.4km SSE 164° Druids Combe wood boundary stone Marker Stone (SS99923799)
 5.5km SSE 150° Langridge Wood Cist* Burial Chamber or Dolmen (ST01403740)
 6.0km ESE 112° St Pancras Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (ST043398)
 6.5km SW 216° Lype Hill Barrows* Barrow Cemetery (SS949370)
 6.7km S 178° Leather Barrow Round Barrow(s) (SS98903553)
 6.9km SSW 198° Cutcombe Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (SS9649635711)
 7.5km SSE 165° Wiveliscombe Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (ST00553486)
 7.6km E 86° St Decumen's Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (ST064426)
 8.0km W 273° Joaney How Cairn (SS90814279)
 8.0km W 273° Robin How* Cairn (SS90764273)
 8.2km SSE 160° Naked Boy stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (ST01493447)
 8.4km E 80° Watchet Market House Museum* Museum (ST0710043439)
 8.6km NW 304° Bury Castle (Exmoor)* Hillfort (SS91744716)
 8.6km E 93° Battlegore* Round Barrow(s) (ST07454162)
 9.0km SSE 152° Huish Champflower Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (ST0286234167)
 9.2km WNW 298° Pixy Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SS9066646634)
 9.6km SSE 161° Dun's Stone Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (ST018331)
 9.6km W 265° Dunkery Beacon* Barrow Cemetery (SS892416)
 9.8km WNW 301° St Agnes Fountain Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SS905474)
 9.8km W 271° Sweetworthy settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SS890425)
 10.5km W 263° Codsend Moor Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SS88364110)
 11.2km W 266° Rowbarrow Group* Barrow Cemetery (SS87544154)
 11.7km SE 135° Elworthy Barrows hillfort* Hillfort (ST070338)
View more nearby sites and additional images

<< Woodhouse (West Woodburn)

Lagina Temple of Hecate >>

Please add your thoughts on this site

Understanding the Neolithic

Understanding the Neolithic

Sponsors

Auto-Translation (Google)

Translate from English into:

"Bat's Castle" | Login/Create an Account | 3 News and Comments
  
Go back to top of page    Comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content.
The ancient farm site close by Bat's Castle by Andy B on Wednesday, 12 July 2017
(User Info | Send a Message)
DavidHarcombe adds: The ancient farm site close by Bat's castle is not unique to this part of Somerset, & perhaps elsewhere too. Off-hand I can think of 3 possibles. 1st is a steep sloping one just beyond Doniford Bay Caravan Park, on a sharp rise just to the right of the Watchet-Doniford Rd before it joins the A39.

Second is Trendle Ring between Bicknoller & Weacombe Hill on the north side of the A358. Wikipedia has it as a possible fort, hill-slope enclosure, livestock enclosure, or settlement, but its sloping position halfway up the hillside instead suggests to me a cattle or animal corral site. Nowadays its only visitors are deer - reasonably plentiful there. Perhaps in the past it was used to corral them also.

And a 3rd site is in Daws Castle, one of Alfred's Saxon burgs, & named in the C16th after its owner of the time. It's at the top of Watchet's West St, just above the appropriately locally-named Saxon Ridge. Not much remains, as it was originally a cliff-top anti-Danish fortress (Watchet was a silver-coinage mint site in Alfred's time, with a lot of its output now in a Danish museum - probably paid as Danegeld). Anyway, much since then of Daw's Castle's north side has eroded into the Bristol Channel, but there's a muddy (perhaps originally a slurry) area in the southern part of what remains, suggesting its use as a livestock enclosure & perhaps farm settlement at least some time in the past.

PS: another good place to see deer is around Membury Fort/Camp!
[ Reply to This ]

Bat's Castle, Dunster by DavidHarcombe on Saturday, 08 July 2017
(User Info | Send a Message)
Bat's Castle is on the hill behind (ie west of) Dunster's charming medieval stone castle, itself beside Dunster's modern town centre. Bat's Castle is probably about a 10 - 15 minutes walk up the hill towards this ancient hill-fort (& also some Cromwellian artillery ramparts - from where Parliamentary forces bombarded Dunster's stone castle & town centre in the 1640s English civil war). Bat's Castle is circular with rough stone walls, with some of its layout suggesting parts of it might have been used to corral animals in during both peace & war.

Slightly below it & to its west is a hillside site which appears to be an ancient farm with a low embankment around it. The higher part of the enclosure suggests the residential area. The lower western part is where animals would probably have been kept - deliberately lower so that their slurry flowed away from the humans who would presumably have been living slightly higher up the hillside than the animals.

Surprisingly, Bat's Castle has been associated by some (not by all - some tourist officials in Dunster were unaware of this until I showed them a booklet making this claim) with the legendary King Arthur in his youth. The suggestion is that Bat's Castle was his first command, & sallying out from here he fought & conquered a local pirate/warlord who was much troubling the local people at the time. When? Probably around 470 - 480 AD, if this story is to be relied on.
[ Reply to This ]

On the Edge of Dumnonia – Iron Age Dunster, Tue 20 July by Andy B on Saturday, 10 July 2010
(User Info | Send a Message)
On the Edge of Dumnonia – Iron Age Dunster

Tue 20 July 11.00–15.00

Discover the remarkable Iron Age fortifications around dunster with a National Park archaeologist. …

Discover the remarkable Iron Age fortifications around dunster with a National Park Archaeologist. This walk will investigate the Iron Age fortifications of Bat’s Castle, Gallox Hill and Grabbist Hill. Please wear walking boots and appropriate outdoor clothing and bring a packed lunch.

Location: Meet at Dunster Steep carpark (ss993 339) at 11.00.

O: Exmoor National Park Authority
N: Jessica Turner
T: 01398 322289
E: jturner@exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk
W: http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk

Festival of British Archaeology 2010
[ Reply to This ]

Your Name: Anonymous [ Register Now ]
Subject:


Add your comment or contribution to this page. Spam or offensive posts are deleted immediately, don't even bother

<<< What is five plus one as a number? (Please type the answer to this question in the little box on the left)
You can also embed videos and other things. For Youtube please copy and paste the 'embed code'.
For Google Street View please include Street View in the text.
Create a web link like this: <a href="https://www.megalithic.co.uk">This is a link</a>  

Allowed HTML is:
<p> <b> <i> <a> <img> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <tt> <li> <ol> <ul> <object> <param> <embed> <iframe>

We would like to know more about this location. Please feel free to add a brief description and any relevant information in your own language.
Wir möchten mehr über diese Stätte erfahren. Bitte zögern Sie nicht, eine kurze Beschreibung und relevante Informationen in Deutsch hinzuzufügen.
Nous aimerions en savoir encore un peu sur les lieux. S'il vous plaît n'hesitez pas à ajouter une courte description et tous les renseignements pertinents dans votre propre langue.
Quisieramos informarnos un poco más de las lugares. No dude en añadir una breve descripción y otros datos relevantes en su propio idioma.