Hembury Castle, West Buckfastleigh

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Dane's Castle; The Danish Camp

In the civil parish of West Buckfastleigh. In the historic county of Devon (Modern Authority of Devon, 1974 county of Devon).

Motte and Bailey set within an Iron Age hillfort. The castle is situated on the western summit of the hillfort interior. The motte consists of a central grass covered mound with an encircling ditch and bank, bailey and outer rampart. The motte is almost perfectly circular at its base, about 32m in diameter rising to an oval top offset to the south west quadrant and measuring 19m north east to south west by 11m overall. The remains of the bailey lie 18m beyond the mound. (PastScape)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SX72546843

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 444802
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 105153 '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.

• Web site links
  • http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/dane_camp.htm
• Books
  • Higham, Robert A., 1999, 'Castles, Fortified Houses and Fortified Towns in the Middle Ages' in Kain, R. and Ravenhill, W., Historical Atlas of South-West England (University of Exeter Press) p136-43
    Salter, Mike, 1999, The Castles of Devon and Cornwall (Malvern) p87 [slight]
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p115
    Allcroft, A. Hadrian, 1908, Earthwork of England (London) p415-6 http://www.archive.org/details/earthworkofengla00allc
    Wall, C., 1906, in Page, Wm (ed), 'Ancient Earthworks' VCH Devon Vol1 p618
• Journal Articles
  • Higham, R.A., 1988, 'Devon Castles: an annotated list' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol46 p142-9
    Higham, R.A., 1982, 'Early Castles in Devon' Château Gaillard Vol9-10 p101-116
    Amery, P.F.S., 1873-4,' Hill Fortresses near Ashburton' Transaction of the Devon AssociationVol6 p265
    Hutchinson, P.O., 1862, 'on the hill fortresses, tumuli, and some other other antiquities of Eastern Devon' Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol18 p53-66 esp60-1 [plan] http://www.archive.org/stream/journalofbritish18brit#page/n74/mode/1up
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • The National Trust, June 1984, National Trust Report: Archaeological Survey of Hembury Devon (National Trust)