A scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or monument which is given legal protection by being placed on a list (or "schedule") by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport; Historic England takes the leading role in identifying such sites. The legislation governing this is the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The term "monument" can apply to the whole range of archaeological sites, and they are not always visible above ground. Such sites have to have been deliberately constructed by human activity. They range from prehistoric standing stones and burial sites, through Roman remains and medieval structures such as castles and monasteries, to later structures such as industrial sites and buildings constructed for the World Wars or the Cold War.[3]
Cary Castle was built either by Walter of Douai or by his son Robert in the late 11th or early 12th century. In 1143, after the Battle of Wilton, Henry de Tracy gained control of Cary Castle and built another stronghold in front of the older castle; however this was demolished when William Fitz Robert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester and his troops arrived to take the castle. By 1468 the castle had been abandoned. Around that time a manor house was built on or adjacent to the site of the castle, possibly by Baron Zouche. It later passed to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset but by the 1630s it was occupied by Edward Kirton. It was largely demolished at the end of the 18th century.
Bruton Abbey was founded as a house of Augustinian canons in 1135, by William de Mohun, who later became the Earl of Somerset. It may have been a Benedictine priory before the Norman conquest of England. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries the abbey was granted to a John Drew of Bristol, but later transferred to Sir Maurice Berkeley. The latter built a house on the site incorporating some of the buildings, but this was demolished in 1786.
Ballands Castle was a motte-and-bailey castle, probably built after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The castle sits close to the contemporary Norman castles of Cockroad Wood and Castle Orchard, and may have been built as part of a system of fortifications to control the surrounding area.The motte of the castle is now around 5 metres (16 ft) high, and up to 9 metres (30 ft) wide. The bailey lies to the south, and both the motte and the bailey are surrounded by ditches.
Wimble Toot is a circular earthwork, 27.4 metres (90 ft) across and 2.7 metres (8 ft 10 in) high, with a ditch on the north-west and south-east sides, on the top of a ridge, overlooking a brook which runs into the River Cary and the old Roman road of the Fosse Way. Generally the site is classified as a Bronze Agebarrow, used for the burial of the dead, or a windmill mound. An alternative interpretation is that the site was a motte, built after the Norman conquest of England.
Dundon Hill Hillfort is an Iron Agehillfort. South east of the site is a Bronze Age bowl barrow which, it has been suggested, was later modified as a Norman Motte, known as Dundon Beacon. The 5-hectare (12-acre) site is guarded by a single bank ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 metres (1.6 to 8.2 ft) high, however parts of the site have been damaged by quarrying. Flint flakes, Bronze Age pottery, and Iron Age pottery have also been found, which are now in the Museum of Somerset.
Ham Hill Hillfort is an Iron Agehillfort located on Ham Hill. It covers an area of 210 acres (85 ha), making it one of the largest hillforts in Britain. The site was also occupied during the mesolithic and neolithic periods and later during Roman and medieval eras.
Horse Pool Camp is a univallateIron Agehillfort enclosure also known as Whitestaunton Camp. The hillfort is an oval shape that is 300 metres (980 ft) long and 150 metres (490 ft) wide.
Lindinis was a small town in the Roman province of Britannia. A timber walled fort was established there around AD 60 and later a second fort seems to have been built. Originally surrounded by native round houses, these were later supplanted by a vicus or unplanned civil area of around 30 acres (120,000 m2).
Kenwalch's Castle is probably an Iron Agehillfort that may have been converted into a Roman fortress. It covers an area of 1.6 hectares (4.0 acres). There is a single rampart and ditch which are well preserved in places. The road north from Penselwood village crosses the hillfort and probably passes through the original entrances.
The villa appears to have been constructed around AD 340. Aerial photography has shown that there are a number of farm buildings around a large courtyard, although the excavations concentrated on the residential west wing and bath house. The large 14 foot (4.3 m) square mosaic depicts the story of Aeneas and Dido, as told in the 1st century BC by the Roman poet, Virgil. Like the villa, it dates to the mid-4th century. The Low Ham mosaic is unique in Roman Britain in providing a narrative story in five panels: Aeneas sailing to Carthage, Aeneas meeting Dido, the couple out hunting, the couple embrace and Dido left alone after Aeneas' departure. It is the earliest piece of narrative art in the country. It was lifted in 1953 and is now on display in the Museum of Somerset. The site has been placed on the Heritage at Risk Register due to the risks from extensive animal burrowing.
Stoke sub Hamdon Priory is a complex of buildings and ruins initially built in the 14th century for priests serving the chantry chapel of St Nicholas. During the 14th and early 15th centuries, the college fell into disrepair and was rebuilt around 1460. The only building remaining from the religious use is a great hall and attached dwelling, dating from the late 15th century. During the dissolution, the land passed into the laity, and was a tenanted farm until the middle of the 20th century.
Earthworks show the site of houses, possibly including a manor house, tracks and a fish pond. The settlement existed before the Norman conquest and was abandoned by the late 18th century.
Earthworks of a 80-by-75-metre (262 by 246 ft) platform with the remains of buildings. The site with its surrounding moat is believed to be the medieval mansion home of the De Pipplepens.
Earthworks of a 50-metre (160 ft) platform with the remains of buildings. The site with its surrounding moat is believed to be the medieval mansion home of Matthew de Esse.
Montacute Castle was built after the Norman conquest of England in 1066 by Robert of Mortain. An 18th-century folly, St. Michael's Hill Tower, named after the castle chapel, stands on the site today, making use of part of the castle chapel's foundations. The site is owned by the National Trust and is open to the public.
Cockroad Wood Castle was a motte-and-bailey castle, probably built after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The castle is close to the contemporary Norman castles of Ballands and Castle Orchard, and may have been built a system of fortifications to control the surrounding area. By 1086 the surrounding land was held by Walter of Douai, although no documentary evidence of the castle remains. The castle was built with a motte and two baileys, running along a north–south ridge, with a possible entrance to the east. The motte today is 13.5 metres (44 ft) wide, up to 7.5 metres (25 ft) high and is surrounded by a 1.25-metre (4 ft 1 in) deep ditch. The two baileys were probably linked to the motte by wooden bridges.
Muchelney Abbey is an English Heritage property. The site consists of ruined walls showing the layout of the abbey buildings constructed from the 8th to 16th and the remaining intact Abbott's House. It is next to the parish church in which some of the fabric of the abbey has been reused. It comprises the remains and foundations of a medievalBenedictineabbey, the site of an earlier Anglo-Saxon abbey, and an early Tudor house dating from the 16th century, formerly the lodgings of the resident Abbot, which is now a Grade I listed building.
Coffins made of stone and lead, dating from the late 4th century, have been found in the grounds of Northover House. A survey in the 1980s estimated here had been over 1500 burials. The site is on the Heritage at Risk Register due to scrub and tree growth.
Bruton Dovecote was built in the 16th century. It was at one time used as a house, possibly as a watchtower and as a dovecote. The building was once within the deerpark of Bruton Abbey and was adapted by the monks from a gabledTudor tower. The conversion to be a dovecote took place around 1780. The square tower was built of local stone with Doulting stone dressings. Although it is now a roofless ruin and some of the windows have been blocked up, it previously had a chimney and the fireplace can still be seen.
Excavations from the 1940s to 1960s showed the remains of a Roman corridor villa with an extensive bath block. Many of the rooms had mosaic floors and walls.
A Roman villa excavated in the 19th century, with baths, hypocausts and mosaics. Nearby is a mausoleum which included coins from Vespasian and the Nerva–Antonine dynasty.
Excavations in the 19th century uncovered the site of a Roman villa in the grounds of Whitestaunton Manor. Further work in 2003 by the Time Team identified a bath house.
Market crosses have stood in the square at Somerton since before 1390; the present Butter Cross, an octagonal roofed market cross, was rebuilt in 1673. It has a slate roof supported by eight arches.
The Hanging Chapel (more formally known as the Chantry Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary) is a 13th-century archway, bearing a Perpendicular building known as the hanging chapel. Excavation in the 1990s showed that the gateway and chapel had been built on the site of a Saxon bank around the town. The archway is all that remains of the east gate of the defended town. The archway which goes over the former main road takes the form of a pointed barrel vault.
Bow Bridge is a 15th-century Packhorse bridge over the River Brue. The bridge may have been built as a link between the former Bruton Abbey, and its Court House in the High Street. On the parapet on the western side of the bridge the remains of a carved shield can still be seen. The bridge was restored after floods on 12 July 1982.
A pair of bowl barrows on the Blackdown Hills. The northernmost barrow of the pair was excavated in 1876 which revealed a pottery urn of ashes and other human remains along with a bronze dagger blade.
The site of a Roman villa which was excavated in the 19th century. Finds included coins from the 3rd century and wall mosaics. A Bronze Age spearhead from the site is in the Museum of Somerset.
^The date given is the date used by Historic England as significant for the initial building or that of an important part in the structure's description.
^ abCreighton, Oliver Hamilton. (2005) Castles and Landscapes: Power, Community and Fortification in Medieval England. London: Equinox. ISBN978-1-904768-67-8.
^R. W. Dunning (editor), A. P. Baggs, R. J. E. Bush, Margaret Tomlinson (1974). "Parishes: Long Sutton". A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 3. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 15 November 2014. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ abRichardson, Miranda. "Milborne Port"(PDF). Somerset Urban Archaeological Survey. Somerset County Council. Archived from the original(PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
^Somerset County Council. "The Low Ham Roman Mosaic". Somerset County Council Museum Collections. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
^Adkins L. and R. A. Adkins. (1989) "Excavation on St. Michael's Hill", Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society 133, pp.125–129.
^"Bruton". A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 7: Bruton, Horethorne and Norton Ferris Hundreds (1999), pp. 18–42. British History Online. Retrieved 20 November 2010.