The Gatehouse website record for Ballands Castle, Pen Selwood

In the civil parish of Pen Selwood. In the historic county of Somerset (Modern Authority of Somerset, 1974 county of Somerset).

The earthwork remains of a Motte and an enclosure which may have been a bailey. The motte has been constructed from the northern end of a slight north-south ridge and the enclosure occupies the full width of the ridge at the highest point. The motte has steep sides and is surrounded by a slight ditch 0.25-0.5m deep and 7-9m wide. Height from the top of the mound to the bottom of the ditch is about 4-5m. The bailey is surrounded by a ditch scarped out of the hillside on the W. On the N side it has both an inner bank 0.25m high and an outer bank 0.25-0.5m high - here the ditch is 1.5m deep and 9m wide. Dunning writes this is a tristra a mound from which to shoot at deer, not a castle. Creighton writes "may have associated with a small deserted medieval settlement and church" and clearly feels this is a castle. one of three closely grouped castles the others being Church Orchard (qv) and Cockroad Wood.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST75343105

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 202580
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 54381 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.
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