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The Castles is a Neolithic causewayed enclosure located near Stoke-sub-Hamdon in Somerset. The site comprises a series of interrupted ditches and banks characteristic of early Neolithic defensive or ceremonial monuments, dating to approximately 3500 to 3000 BCE. Its physical remains reflect the construction techniques of Neolithic communities in the Somerset Levels region, though substantial portions of the original earthworks have been diminished by subsequent agricultural use and development. The monument represents important evidence for early settlement patterns and social organisation in Neolithic south-western England.
The Castles is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1019150. View the official record →
The Castles is a Neolithic causewayed enclosure located near Stoke-sub-Hamdon in Somerset. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1019150.
The Castles 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 1019150.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Two round barrows on Heydon Hill (4.1 km), Camp S of Manor Farm (4.2 km), Entrenchment on Heydon Hill (4.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of The Castles'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.
The Castles stands on Upper Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.