| Site Name: |
Wadbury Hillfort, Wadbury |
| SCHEDULED MONUMENT: |
Wadbury camp [No:368] |
| Civil Parish: |
Mells |
| Grid Ref: |
ST 735 489 (ST 74 NW) |
Wadbury is a promontory fort situated on the N side of the Mells stream, the steep banks of which form the defences on one side. Elsewhere they consist of a 16ft high bank with ditch, below the counterscarp of which is a revetment of stones. The N-S middle bank, and a low bank to the NW of Wadbury House are modern. {1}
Very damaged site, the defences of which have been terraced and altered for gardens on the E side, although a single bank still stands c3m high on this side except on the NE where a modern house has destroyed it. The N and NW sides have a bank, ditch and counterscarp bank, the inner bank rising only about 30cm from the interior which is fairly level and under pasture. At the W apex the artificial defences stop c20m E of the natural cliff falling into the stream. The area has been disturbed by surface quarrying but there was probably an entrance there. {3}
N part occupied by mixed wood. The rest is pasture, open grassland and paddocks. {4}
The fort is still under permanent pasture, except for an area to the W which is becoming covered in scrub, and is in generally good condition. {8}
A watching brief (PRN 25756) on an extension to Wadbury Fort Cottage revealed no features or finds. {9}
References:
| 1 |
Mention - Victoria County History of Somerset 1908 vol 2, 469 and 477 |
| 2 |
Sketch plan - Victoria County History of Somerset 1908 vol 2 |
| 3 |
Description - BAR 91 Burrow, I 1981 "Hillfort and Hilltop Settlement ..." |
| 4 |
Detailed records - SMR file 23850 |
| 5 |
Mention - Burrow, E.J 1924 "Earthworks and Camps of Somerset ...." 58-9 |
| 6 |
Mention - Allcroft, A.H 1908 "Earthworks of England", 61 |
| 7 |
Detailed records - Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division 1964 ST74NW2 (SCC Planning Department) |
| 8 |
Detailed records - Field Monument Warden's report (21.7.1998) in HER files |
| 9 |
Detailed records - Heaton, M 'Wadbury Fort Cottage' unpubl report (1998) in HER files (PRN 25756) |
| 10 |
Detailed records - McGarvie, M. The Antiquities of Mells, Elm and Buckland in 1730. Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society, Volume 27, (1983) pp83-5 |
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