Scheduled MonumentsEnglandMaiden Castle univallate prehistoric defended enclosure

Maiden Castle univallate prehistoric defended enclosure

England
List entry 1008633
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1008633
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.88 hectares
Grid reference
NY 45124 24354
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Maiden Castle is a univallate prehistoric defended enclosure located in Cumberland, England. The monument consists of a single defensive bank and ditch system characteristic of Iron Age hillforts and enclosed settlements of the pre-Roman period. The site represents the defensive architecture typical of northern British prehistoric communities during the later prehistoric period, reflecting both practical military considerations and territorial demarcation. Such univallate enclosures are generally less elaborate than multivallate examples, suggesting either a smaller community, a later period of construction, or a site of more limited strategic importance within the prehistoric settlement hierarchy.

Maiden Castle univallate prehistoric defended enclosure is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1008633. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Maiden Castle univallate prehistoric defended enclosure?

Maiden Castle is a univallate prehistoric defended enclosure located in Cumberland, England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1008633.

Who is responsible for protecting Maiden Castle univallate prehistoric defended enclosure?

Maiden Castle univallate prehistoric defended enclosure 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 1008633.

What other scheduled monuments are near Maiden Castle univallate prehistoric defended enclosure?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Round cairn north of Four Stones Hill (9 km), Round cairn west of enclosure on Four Stones Hill (9 km), Two standing stones north-west of Four Stones Hill (9 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Maiden Castle univallate prehistoric defended enclosure

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Maiden Castle univallate prehistoric defended enclosure'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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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Maiden Castle univallate prehistoric defended enclosure

Maiden Castle univallate prehistoric defended enclosure stands on Upper Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.