Scheduled Monuments›England›Hembury Fort

Hembury Fort

England
List entry 1018850
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1018850
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
9.08 hectares
Grid reference
ST 11255 03089
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Hembury Fort is a Neolithic causewayed enclosure located on high ground near Honiton in Devon. Dating to the early Neolithic period, approximately 3700–3500 BCE, the site comprises multiple concentric ditches with interrupted segments rather than continuous circuits, a characteristic feature of causewayed enclosures of this type. Archaeological excavation has revealed evidence of occupation and activity typical of early Neolithic communities, including finds of pottery and worked flint. The monument's elevated position and defensive ditched design suggest it may have served functions related to periodic gatherings, stock management, and settlement, though causewayed enclosures remain subject to ongoing scholarly interpretation regarding their precise roles within Neolithic society.

Hembury Fort is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1018850. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Hembury Fort?

Hembury Fort is a Neolithic causewayed enclosure located on high ground near Honiton in Devon. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1018850.

Who is responsible for protecting Hembury Fort?

Hembury Fort is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1018850.

What other scheduled monuments are near Hembury Fort?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bowl barrow in Lee's Plantation, East Hill, 560m east of Higher Rill Farm (8.7 km), Farway Castle earthwork enclosure (9 km), Four bowl barrows divided by the B3174, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Farway Hill (9.1 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Hembury Fort

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Hembury Fort's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Bowl barrow in Lee's Plantation, East Hill, 560m east of Higher Rill Farm
8.7 km
Farway Castle earthwork enclosure
9 km
Four bowl barrows divided by the B3174, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Farway Hill
9.1 km
Bowl barrow 30m west of the Farway Common Road, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Farway Hill.
9.1 km
Bowl barrow 20m north east of the B3174, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Farway Hill
9.1 km
Three bowl barrows to the south west of the B3174, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Farway Hill
9.2 km
Bowl barrow on the line of the B3174, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Farway Hill
9.3 km
Bowl barrow 60m south west of the B3174, forming part of a dispersed barrow group on Farway Hill
9.5 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Hembury Fort

Hembury Fort stands on Gault Formation And Upper Greensand Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Cenomanian. The rock here is mudstone, sandstone and limestone.

The wider landscape

Around Hembury Fort

ExeterRoman town · ~13.6 miles
Domesday entry for Broadhembury, Devon →
All Scheduled Monuments