The Gatehouse website record for Daws Castle, Watchet

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

Saxon burghal ramparts strengthed with stone in C10 and possible maintained until after 1086. Site called 'le castell' in 1537. Bond put site in his 'Anglo-saxon urban defensive circuit of no post-Conquest importance' list and writes has no remains, Dunning has air photo of site showing it severally suffering from coastal erosion but with some banking still visable. PastScape report as 'Saxon enclosure possibly constructed in 914 surviving as an earthwork though evidence for stone walls has been found. Probably the site of the burh of Weced (Watchet) first mentioned in the Burghal Hideage. Inhumations possibly dating to C5 have been found near by. The site was discovered during the construction of three lime kilns in the mid to late C19. The bank defining the southern part of the enclosure is visible as earthworks. It measure 255m long and curves sharply at its north west end by the cliff.'

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST06184329

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 188490
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 4164 '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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