Forts in South Devon

It’s no surprise that Devon has a long and fascinating history. Kents Cavern in Torbay can be traced back to half a million years ago and is said to be one of the earliest places in England occupied by modern humans. Several locations on Dartmoor show remains of Mesolithic hunter-gatherer people from around 6000 BC and evidence of settlements and farming from the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron age have been discovered across the region. Amongst these historic remains, many forts have been explored and excavated to help us piece together how people would have lived thousands of years ago. Read on to find out about all the known forts in South Devon. 

Bayards Cove Fort, Dartmouth 

We’re starting this list off with a slightly different fort in comparison to the others here in the region. Bayards Cove Fort is a Tudor fort, built by the borough of Dartmouth between 1522 – 1536 and still contains the heavy guns used to protect the town from attack. It would have been the last line of defence against enemy ships that managed to pass the Dartmouth and Kingswear castle defences. As it stands today, the fort occupies a terrace on Dartmouth Harbour and is open to visitors to imagine how these huge cannons would have been used. It’s also a popular location for photos of Kingswear and the Dart Estuary. 

In comparison to Bayard’s Cove, the remaining forts are much older, most dating as far back as the Iron Age. 

Dartmoor 

Brent Hill, South Brent 

On the southern edge of Dartmoor, close to South Brent is Brent Hill. It’s sits on a triangular-shaped hilltop and dates back to 500BC. According to archaeologists, the fort would have been in use for many years and may have been used as part of a beacon warning system for invasions. 

Cranbrook Castle, Moretonhampstead 

The site where Cranbrook Castle would have stood is found north of Moretonhampstead, close to Fingle Bridge and just 2 kilometres from Prestonbury Castle on Dartmoor. It would have overlooked the Teign Valley, standing some 337 metres above sea level. It was built sometime between 500 BC and 0 AD and crowns the top of Cranbrook Down. Whilst the walk to the top may require some stamina, being a mile-long incline, there is a bench situated about halfway up and once at the top there are fantastic views of the Teign Gorge and the rolling hills of Dartmoor. 

Dewerstone, Plympton 

On the south western edge of Dartmoor, Dewerstone, an Iron Age hillfort, would have sat on the rocky promontory overlooking the River Plym. Interestingly, ‘Dewer’ is an ancient Celtic word for the Devil and according to folklore, the Devil would ride a large black horse across the moors each night, leading a pack of black hounds to chase weary humans over the Dewerstone to their deaths. On a lighter note, today, the area is popular with climbers. 

Hembury Castle, Buckfast 

About a mile from the village of Buckfast, on the south-eastern edge of Dartmoor, Hembury Castle is an Iron Age hillfort, sitting within the National Trust’s Hembury Woods between the River Dart and the Holy Brook. The fort covers around 7 acres and on the inside there is an 11th or 12th century motte with a surrounding narrow inner bailey. The first documented reference to Hembury Castle is in the 13th century cartulary of Buckfast Abbey. Despite being no official record of an attack, Roman remains have been discovered at Hembury Castle, along with stones that would have been used in a slingshot. This suggests that conflict may have taken place here in the past. 

Prestonbury Castle, Drewsteignton 

On the north western edge of Dartmoor, near Drewsteignton sits Prestonbury Castle, a small, multivallate hillfort which overlooks the valleys of the River Teign. It’s situated close to Fingle Bridge and the remains of Cranbrook Castle. Of all three hillforts found along the River Teign, it’s the second highest at 240 metres above sea level. 

Wooston Castle, Drewsteignton 

Wooston Castle is an Iron Age hillfort in Fingle Woods on Dartmoor with a dramatic position on a promontory extending out into the Teign Valley. Of the three hill forts located here, Wooston Castle, whilst still high, is found at the lowest point. It’s positioned above the river, giving the hillfort commanding views up to Teign Gorge and further into Dartmoor. Wooston is a relatively unusual hillfort in comparison to others in the area as it doesn’t sit on the top of the hill. However, the tree clearance evidences that the landscape would have been visible to the people who used it. The remains of the hillfort’s banks and ditches are unconventional, leading to much speculation of the true nature of this fascinating site. 

Yellowberries Copse, South Brent 

Situated south of South Brent, Yellowberries Copse is thought to have been an Iron Age enclosure or possible hillfort. The prehistoric site has extensive views of Dartmoor and other hillforts in the area would have been visible from here. 

West Devon 

Castle Head, nr Tavistock 

Occupying a commanding position on a promontory at the neck of a bow in the River Tamar and close to Dunterton is hillfort Castle Head. It stands roughly 100 metres above sea level; there is another earthwork further south on the promontory and others on the Cornish side of the river. 

South Hams 

Bolt Tail, Salcombe 

Bolt Tail is a headland between Hope Cove and Salcombe. It sits on the South West Coast Path and is currently owned by the National Trust. It offers incredible views of Bantham and Burgh Island. There is evidence of flint tools from the Iron Age on this promontory fort, but little remains of the structure. 

Blackdown Rings, nr Loddiswell 

Providing a stunning view of the South Hams countryside, Blackdown Hills is a late Bronze age/early Iron Age hillfort dating circa 600 – 400 BC. The site also contains a Norman motte and bailey castle, known as Loddiswell Castle which was occupied in the 11th century. Both were built to dominate the Avon Valley and control access between central Dartmoor and the sea. 

Capton, nr Dartmouth

On the road between Dartmouth and Dittisham is Capton, a village in which at the hilltop to the east sits an Iron Age enclosure or hillfort, approximately 185m above sea level. Flint tools have been discovered here, alongside a carving of a face. These date from the Neolithic Era, around 4,000 years ago. In the South West during this period in history, many people moved towards farming, when previously most had been hunter-gatherers. 

Halwell Camp, Halwell 

The Iron Age hillfort of Halwell Camp is found near the village of Halwell, resting between Dartmouth and Totnes. The monument includes a sub-circular slight univallate hillfort, divided into two parts by the Dartmouth to Halwell road and two earlier Late Neolithic – Bronze Age bowl barrows. 

Stanborough, Halwell 

Another hillfort located near the picturesque village of Halwell is Stanborough, a univallete camp with a suspected Bronze age bowl barrow that dates earlier than the creation of the Iron Age hill fort. The ramparts are covered with large mature beech trees which make the site a landmark for many miles around. It’s a rough oval shape, enclosing two acres of land and was known to have been a meeting place for the hundred of Stanborough. 

Holbury Camp, Holbeton 

Offering dramatic views of the Erme estuary and the South Hams countryside, Holbury Camp is situated on top a hilltop east of the village of Holbeton. Most of the ramparts are well-preserved and offer prominent views of the serval other local hillforts in the area. 

Noss, Dartmouth 

Noss is the name given to an Iron Age hill fort situated close to Dartmouth. The fort is situated on the south western slope of a promontory on the eastern side of a hill, west to the village of Hillhead and overlooks Noss Point in the Dart Estuary. 

Slapton Castle, Stokenham 

Slapton Castle is an Iron Age hillfort situated between Stokenham and Slapton with views of Slapton Ley and the sea. Despite cultivation since at least 1946, the hillfort preserves features relating to the development and use of the monument. 

Woodbury Camp, Stoke Fleming 

Not to be confused with Woodbury Castle, Woodbury Camp is an Iron Age hillfort located near Stoke Fleming in the South Hams. It sits on a high and prominent south-facing hilltop and overlooks a deep valley west of Dartmouth with extensive surrounding views. 

Yarrowbury Camp, nr Bigbury 

Laid out on a hilltop close to Bigbury, Yarrowbury Camp is an Iron Age hill fort overlooking the Avon Estuary. It sits northeast of the village and is approximately 80-metres above sea level. 

Plymouth

Wasteberry Camp, nr Plymouth 

Situated on a hilltop in Warren Wood is Wasteberry Castle, an Iron Age hillfort, medieval deer park and a post-medieval rabbit warren. It sits on a board spur on the side of a small stream known as Silverbridge lake. Despite damage by ploughing and stock erosion, there are still some preserved features which evidence the use of the fort. The deer parks date from the 12th – 17th centuries and would have had high banks designed to allow deer to leap in but preventing them from escaping. The warrens here date between the 12th – 19th centuries and were used for the breeding and managements of rabbits or hares. Remains of a two-storied warrener’s house survived as a ruin within the ramparts of the hillfort at the highest point; all rooms would have had a fireplace with an oven on the ground floor room. 

Teignbridge 

Berry’s Wood, Newton Abbot 

Berry’s Wood is an Iron Age hillfort situated close to Newton Abbot and lies on the hilltop above Bradley Manor. It has great views of the River Lemon and down the Teign Estuary. The fort was thought to have been made of a single limestone rampart and a ditch and it encloses an area of about 11 acres in which the remains of the huts have been found. 

Castle Dyke, nr Dawlish 

Between Dawlish and Chudleigh lies the remaining structure of Castle Dyke. The site includes a slight univallate hillfort, situated on the summit of Little Haldon Hill and overlooking the Smallacombe Goyle. It includes an oval enclosure measuring up to 90 x 70 metres internally, defined by a single rampart bank measuring 1.5 metres high. This hillfort was referred to as ‘Eordbirig’ in a charter of 1044. 

Cotley Castle, nr Kenton 

Near Dunchideock, southwest of Exeter you can find the remains of an univallate hillfort known as Cotley Castle. Its shape is irregular in comparison to other hillforts in Devon and it’s situated on a prominent ridge forming the watershed between the River Exe and River Teign. 

Denbury Hill, nr Newton Abbot 

Denbury Hill is the name of an Iron Age hillfort near the village of Denbury in Newton Abbot. It’s located at the southeast of the village and occupies the entire hilltop of Denbury Down. It’s surrounded on the south and east side by high embankments and in the centre of the monument there are two large burial mounds. According to historians, the area was probably re-occupied sometime after the Roman empire and before the Norman conquest, possibly also used by the British and a centre of resistance against the Saxons, or even occupied by the Saxons themselves. However, the area has not been excavated so there is still so much to be discovered here. 

Holne Chase Castle, nr Ashburton 

Overlooking the idyllic River Dart, Holne Chase Castle is found within Chase Woods which is situated close to Buckland-in-the-Moor. The hillfort survives as an oval enclosure, defined by a single rampart and ditch with a counterscarp bank. Within the site there are four circular cairns and two rectangular depressions thought to be a result of stone quarrying. A partial excavation in 1905 found remains of pottery and Iron Age currency bars. 

Milber Down, Newton Abbot 

Milber Down is the site of an Iron Age hillfort that sits on the hill above the suburb of Milber in Newton Abbot. In comparison to many of the other univallate hill forts in Devon, Milber Down was an multivallate, hill-sloping fort, consisting of four roughly concentric ramparts. The large ditches are still visible today, but the whole camp has been bisected by the road from Newton Abbot to Torquay. Many artefacts have been found here, three of the Iron Age artefacts discovered here include a bronze figurine of a stag, a duck and a bird, you can view these at the Newton Abbot Museum. 

Torbay 

Berry Head, Brixham 

Berry Head is the site of an Iron Age hillfort which was mostly destroyed by the construction of extensive fortification to protect the Torbay naval anchorage from French armies in 1794 – 1804. The site now acts as a nature reserve and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. 

Mid Devon 

Castle Close, nr Tiverton 

Castle Close is a circular earthwork located near Stoodleigh in Mid Devon. This settlement includes a univallate hill fort, situated on a prominent hill overlooking the valleys of two separate tributaries and from the centre of the area, other Devon hill forts are seen from here suggesting that they would have likely been used at the same time. 

Cadbury Castle, nr Tiverton 

Cadbury Castle is a hill fort, close to Bickleigh in Mid Devon and situated 250 metres above sea level, overlooking the Exe Valley. This fort is thought to have been built in the Iron Age, it was later encamped by the Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil War in 1600s. You can access the fort via a public footpath signposted from Cadbury village and from the site, it’s possible to see other hillforts within the surrounding landscape. 

Cranmore Castle, Tiverton 

Situated on a hillside above Tiverton, Cranmore Castle is an English Heritage Scheduled Monument. It was argued that this area was developed in the Iron Age, but in more recent research, evidence suggests it inefficient as a fort due to being overlooked from the south by the higher slope of Exeter Hill. It’s also within view of other hill forts, so current theories suggest it might have been a winter enclosure for livestock or perhaps even a market site or an oppidum (a large Iron Age town). 

Huntsman Castle, Tiverton 

Near the village of Huntsman, a parish of Tiverton, lies the remains of Huntsman Castle, an Iron Age hill fort which includes a univallate, sub-circular hillfort. It overlooks the valley of two tributaries of the River Lowman. Despite a brief episode of quarrying, the site remains largely intact. Its prominent location continues to be a local landmark, indicated by the presence of a parish boundary which crosses it from east to west. 

Posbury Hillfort, nr Crediton 

Within the ancient town of Posbury is Posbury hill fort, an unexcavated Iron Age hillfort, which consist of an incomplete earthwork and remains of an early Roman road that would have ran from Colebrooke to Crediton. It’s suggested that this was a battle site from 661 AD when Cenwalh, the king of Wessex, moved the native Briton tribes from the middle of Devon to the coast. 

Raddon Top, nr Crediton 

Raddon Top is the highest point of the Raddon Hills in Mid Devon. Its summit is 235 metres above sea level, making it a significant feature in the surrounding countryside. There were earthworks at the summit, but by the 16th century these had almost been entirely ploughed away. However, archaeological excavations revealed the remains of an early Iron Age palisaded enclosure and hill fort with timber ramparts, as well as a much earlier Neolithic causewayed enclosure. 

East Devon 

Belbury Castle, Ottery St Mary 

Near Ottery St Mary is Belbury Castle, an Iron Age earthwork likely to have been a hill fort or livestock enclosure. The historic site was previously known as ‘bigulfsburh’ or Beowulf’s burgh and it’s located on the relatively flat top of a hill overlooking the valley and flood plain of the River Otter on its western side. 

Berry Camp, Branscombe 

Dating back to the Iron Age, Berry Camp (or Berry Cliff) sits on a partially eroded cliff top 140 metres above sea level, near Branscombe in East Devon. The South West Coast Path passes through this historic landmark.  

Blackbury Camp, nr Seaton 

Situated in Southleigh in East Devon, the remains of Blackbury Camp are found with high ramparts and a single entrance. The fort was defended by a single bank and ditch, forming a rough D-shaped enclosure approximately 200 metres long and 100 metres wide, with a triangular barbican which was added to the south of the fort, but never completed. It’s suggested that that the fort was home to a cattle-farming community in the 2nd and 1st century BC. Now, surrounded by woodland, the hillfort is a popular spot for picnics. 

Dolbury Hill Fort, Broadclyst 

Dolbury Hill Fort is a Scheduled Monument thought to date back to the early Iron Age, around 600BC. It overlooks the River Culm and sits within the grounds of Killerton House in Broadclyst. This particular hill fort suffered some disturbance during the 18th century when the area was heavily planted with trees. As the area is found within Killerton Estate, it’s owned by the National Trust so it can be accessed by foot when visiting Killerton House. 

Dumpdon Hill, Honiton 

Situated above the valley of the River Otter, Dumpdon Hill is one of the largest and most distinct hills in the area due to a large clump of beech trees at its summit. It’s owned and maintained by the National Trust and is 250 metres above sea level. The site contains the remains of an Iron Age hill fort, however it’s somewhat overshadowed by its neighbour Hembury Fort. 

Hembury, Honiton 

Hembury is a late Stone Age causewayed enclosure and Iron Age hill fort near Honiton and within the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Its history stretches from the 5 BC to the Roman invasion. It overlooks the River Otter valley, which was probably chosen as it’s a good, defensive viewpoint of the surrounding countryside. When the site was excavated, a timber framed entrance and an oval arrangement of postholes were found, alongside pottery, flints, axes and querns dating back to the Neolithic Age. 

Hawkesdown Hill, Axmouth 

On Hawkesdown Hill is the site of an old Iron Age hill fort which overlooks the village and provides clear evidence of the earliest known historic associations of the district. It is believed to have been a defensive position of the Durotriges, an ancient British tribe from Dorset. According to folklore, Hawkesdown Hill is haunted by a warrior and a fire-breathing dog! 

High Peak, Sidmouth 

Partially eroded on the edge of Sidmouth, High Peak used to house an Iron Age hill fort. Here also lies significant earthworks and pottery which have been dated to the Roman and Dark ages. Previously it would have extended several tens of metres, but due to the cliff erosion, little of it remains now. The peak offers excellent views of Sidmouth’s stunning red cliffs and the town’s beaches. The cliffs are also significant in their history; the site sits on the Jurassic Coastline which would have formed around 220 million years ago.  

Membury Castle, Axminster 

With views of the Yarty and Axe Valleys, Membury Castle is found above the village of Membury in East Devon, commanding a hilltop position of 204 metres above sea level. The defences enclose a narrow oblong area and has three entrances, one of which may have been added at a later point in history. 

Musbury Castle, nr Axminster 

Situated above the village of Musbury, the impressive Iron Age Fort of Musbury Castle offers stunning views of the Axe Valley and towards the sea at Seaton. It stands at a commanding position, surrounded by the rolling hills of the East Devon countryside. It’s located on the East Devon Way with plenty of long and short walks nearby. 

Seaton Down, Seaton 

Located close to the town of Seaton in East Devon, you’ll find Seaton Down, an inland promontory fort which overlooks Holyford Brook on the west side of the River Axe. It would have made use of the steep natural defences on three sides of the spur.  

Sidbury Castle, nr Sidmouth 

Overlooking the River Sid at approximately 185 metres above sea level is Sidbury Castle. It has survived well and stands in a commanding position with most of its defences intact and a well-preserved passway entrance. There have been various artefacts found here and you can view the remains of slinging stones at Exeter Museum. 

Woodbury Castle, Woodbury 

At the highest point of Pebblebed Heaths on Woodbury Common the remains of an Iron Age hill fort called Woodbury Castle is found. The site is part of the East Devon Way and it provided a commanding position with views up and down the Exe Estuary and across Lyme Bay. The structure is a prehistoric military type of earthwork and dates back to around 500 – 300 BC. Pottery dating from the 6th – 4th century BC has been found here as well as a clay oven, given a radiocarbon date of around 20 AD. During the Western Rising, Woodbury Castle was occupied in 1549 and also by the army between 1759 – 1803; it was documented on Benjamin Donn’s map of Devon in 1765. During WW2, an air raid shelter was cut into the rampart. 

Exeter

Stoke Hill Camp, Exeter 

Rising to the north of Exeter, Stoke Hill is a significant site of both an Iron Age hillfort and later, a Roman signal station. It was occupied for at least 200 years before the Romans arrived in Exeter. Stoke Hill Camp would have overlooked the Exe Valley, providing a defensive viewpoint.  

Who knew there were so many forts here in South Devon? It just goes to show how much history our region contains, and how much the landscape has changed within this time.  If you enjoyed reading this, be sure to give us a like and follow on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to stay up to date with our latest blog posts, events, competitions and more!