Croft Castle, Crewkerne

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Castle Hill

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

Described as mound, possible Norman motte. Isolated outcrop which rises to over 450ft forms part of an irregular enclosure called Castles. It lies within an area of demense land which was divided into tenths by the end of the C16 but was then still known as "Countes Croft", the C13 "Craft Comitisse". The hill was planted with trees by Earl Paulett early in the C19 but was subsequently returned to grass. No visible earthworks. On the strength of the discovery of two fragments of C12 pottery, together with the name of Castle Hill, the site has been suggested as that of a Norman Castle. Ploughing in 1976 revealed eight more similar sherds, two nails and a piece of hamstone. Not a manorial centre.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Questionable.
Earthworks remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST42061075

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 54678

• Web site links
  • http://webapp1.somerset.gov.uk/her/details.asp?prn=54678
• Books
  • Prior, Stuart, 2006, A Few Well-Positioned Castles: The Norman Art of War (Tempus) p68-109
    Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p70
    Dunning, Robert, 1995, Somerset Castles (Somerset Books) p35-7
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p216
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
• Journal Articles
  • Dunning, Robert, 1977, ‘Croft Castle’ Somerset Archaeology and Natural History Vol121 p129-30
    Transactions of the Royal Historical Society ser5 Vol34 p137-8