Lyng Burghal Defences

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

The site of the Anglo-Saxon burh of Lyng, a fortified settlement situated on the Somerset Levels. It lies just west of the Anglo-Saxon site of Athelney, to which it was connected by a causeway. The burh at Lyng was aligned east to west, on naturally raised ground at the eastern end of a narrow peninsula. It was thus protected on its north, south and east by the now reclaimed marshlands, and to the west by a low bank and ditch up to 25m wide, aligned north-east to south-west across the neck of the peninsula. The extent of the burh is defined by a scarp, averaging 15m wide and 2.5m high. There are a number of hollow ways visible, running north to south across the site. These represent the remains of a street plan, probably medieval in date, but possibly retaining some of the Anglo-Saxon pattern. On the south side of the site is a hollow way about 6m wide, flanked to the south-east by a raised platform up to 10m high, with a 4m wide ditch to its south. The burh of Lyng is mentioned in a range of contemporary documentary sources, including the 9th century Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the early 10th century Burghal Hideage. In Bond's 'New Anglo-Saxon urban defensive circuit of no post-Conquest importance' list.

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

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST334289

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; 191929

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 11836

• Web site links
  • http://webapp1.somerset.gov.uk/her/details.asp?prn=11836
    http://www.ogdoad.force9.co.uk/alfred/alfhidage.htm
• Books
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p57, 64, 256
    Hill, David and Rumble, Alexander R. (eds), 1996, The defence of Wessex : the Burghal Hidage and Anglo-Saxon fortifications p209-10
    Dunning, R.W. (ed), 1992, VCH Somerset Vol6 p53-6 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=18538
    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
• Journal Articles
  • Burrow, I. 1982, Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society Vol126 p76
    Leach, P.J., 1976, Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society Vol120 p29-38
    Radford, C.A.R., 1970, 'The later pre-Conquest boroughs and their defences' Medieval Archaeology Vol14 p97-9
    Hill, David, 1967, Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society Vol111 p64-6