Scheduled Monuments›England›Holwell Castle

Holwell Castle

England
List entry 1003872
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1003872
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
1.15 hectares
Grid reference
SS 66978 44594
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Holwell Castle is a medieval earthwork castle situated in Devon, England. The site comprises a motte and bailey fortification, a defensive structure type typical of the Norman period following the conquest of 1066. The earthwork remains visible today as raised banks and ditches characteristic of early medieval castle construction, though the original timber or stone buildings that once stood upon the motte have not survived. The castle represents an important example of early Norman settlement and territorial control in the South West of England during the eleventh and twelfth centuries.

Holwell Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1003872. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Holwell Castle?

Holwell Castle is a medieval earthwork castle situated in Devon, England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1003872.

Who is responsible for protecting Holwell Castle?

Holwell Castle 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 1003872.

What other scheduled monuments are near Holwell Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Round barrow 100yds (90m) NE of Five Cross Way (7 km), Smythapark hillfort (7 km), Round barrow cemetery 500m east of Little Bray Cross (7.1 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Holwell Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Holwell Castle'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

Round barrow 100yds (90m) NE of Five Cross Way
7 km
Smythapark hillfort
7 km
Round barrow cemetery 500m east of Little Bray Cross
7.1 km
Motte called Castle Roborough
8.5 km
Round barrow 200ft (60m) NW of Setta Barrow, Bray Common
8.5 km
Setta Barrow and three round barrows to the south
8.6 km
Camp on Mockham Down
8.8 km
Four round barrows on Muxworthy Ridge
8.9 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Holwell Castle

Holwell Castle stands on Middle Devonian (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.

Domesday entry for Parracombe, Devon →
All Scheduled Monuments