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Brean Down is a multi-period archaeological site located on a prominent headland in Somerset, England, which has yielded evidence of human occupation and activity spanning from the Neolithic period through to the medieval period and beyond. The site is notable for its Iron Age fort, whose defensive earthworks remain visible on the downland, and for the substantial Romano-British temple complex discovered there, which represents one of the most significant religious structures of the Roman period in the south-west. Excavations at Brean Down have also revealed material culture and structural remains indicative of earlier Bronze Age and later medieval activity, making the site an important record of long-term settlement and land use patterns across multiple millennia. The promontory's strategic coastal location has contributed to its repeated occupation and adaptation throughout different historical periods.
Multi-period site on Brean Down is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1008211. View the official record →
Brean Down is a multi-period archaeological site located on a prominent headland in Somerset, England, which has yielded evidence of human occupation and activity spanning from the Neolithic period through to the medieval period and beyond. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1008211.
Multi-period site on Brean Down 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 1008211.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bell barrow 650m south-west of Uphill Farm (3 km), Worlebury Camp, a large multivallate hillfort and the linear earthworks to the east (4.6 km), Two Palmerstonian gun batteries on Steep Holm (6.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Multi-period site on Brean Down's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Multi-period site on Brean Down stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.