Scheduled Monuments›England›Wooston Castle

Wooston Castle

England
List entry 1003822
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1003822
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
10.85 hectares
Grid reference
SX 76600 89351
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Wooston Castle is a motte-and-bailey fortification situated in Devon, England, dating to the Norman period following the conquest of 1066. The castle comprises a substantial earthwork consisting of a raised mound with an adjoining bailey, typical of early medieval military architecture designed for rapid construction and defence. The site represents an important example of Norman settlement strategy in the south-west of England, reflecting the consolidation of Norman authority in the region during the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The earthwork survives as a significant archaeological monument and landscape feature, preserving evidence of early medieval fortification practices.

Wooston Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1003822. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Wooston Castle?

Wooston Castle is a motte-and-bailey fortification situated in Devon, England, dating to the Norman period following the conquest of 1066. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1003822.

Who is responsible for protecting Wooston Castle?

Wooston 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 1003822.

What other scheduled monuments are near Wooston Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Higher Combe cross: a wayside cross in a field 250m east of Higher Combe (7.1 km), Hunter's Tor camp (7.2 km), Earthwork in Houndtor Wood (9 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Wooston Castle

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

Higher Combe cross: a wayside cross in a field 250m east of Higher Combe
7.1 km
Hunter's Tor camp
7.2 km
Earthwork in Houndtor Wood
9 km
Three hut circles at north end of Vogwell Down
9.3 km
Hut circles on Heatree Down
9.8 km
King's Barrow on King Tor, Hookney Down
9.9 km
Huts and fields on Hayne Down
10 km
Cairn and cist 430m north east of Grimspound
10.4 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Wooston Castle

Wooston Castle stands on Holsworthy Group, bedrock that formed in the Moscovian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Wooston Castle

ExeterRoman town · ~9.7 miles
Domesday entry for Coombe, Devon →
All Scheduled Monuments