Daws Castle, Watchet

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Weced

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.'

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

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST06184329

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

PastScape number; 188490

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 4164

• Web site links
  • http://webapp1.somerset.gov.uk/her/details.asp?prn=34164
    http://www.ogdoad.force9.co.uk/alfred/alfhidage.htm
• Books
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p57
    Dunning, Robert, 1995, Somerset Castles (Somerset Books) p27
    Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report) p92-116
    Dunning, R.W. (ed), 1985, VCH Somerset Vol5 p146, 165
    Susan Pearce, 1978, The kingdom of Dumnonia: studies in history and tradition in south-western Britain AD 350-1150 p66, 184
    Burrow, Edward J., 1924, Ancient Earthworks and Camps of Somerset (Cheltenham and London) p140 [plan]
    Bothamley, 1911, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Somerset Vol2 p528-9 [plan]
• Journal Articles
  • McAvoy, F., 1986, 'The excavation at Daws Castle 1982' Somerset Archaeology and Natural History Vol130 p47-60
    Rahtz, P.A., 1976, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy Section C Vol16 p229
    1964, Medieval Archaeology Vol8