Danes Castle

Heritage listing

Details The monument includes Danes Castle, a 12th century ringwork, situated within the city of Exeter on the shoulder of a ridge forming the north side of Longbrook valley which rises steeply on its south side to Rougemont Castle and the medieval city walls. The ringwork was revealed by archaeological excavations in 1993 on the removal of an overlying embankment which revetted a 19th century reservoir. The ringwork lies on ground sloping downwards from north to south. It consists of a steep sided circular ditch averaging 8m in width and 3.8m deep, with an external diameter of about 55m. The material from the ditch was cast into the interior to create a rampart of about 11m width and with an estimated original height of at least 4m, but a surviving height of only 1.8m maximum, enclosing a central open space of about 17m diameter. It appears that the face of the rampart and the inner side of the ditch formed a continuous slope with an angle of 45-50 degrees. There is an entrance in the south west sector of the ringwork consisting of a causeway formed by an uncut section of the ditch leading to a passage through the rampart. The ground surface inside the ramparts was not artificially raised. The archaeological evidence indicates that the entrance passage was intended to be defended by a gate tower about 4m square, supported on wooden posts, although the structure was never erected. The top of the rampart would have supported a wooden palisade and walkway, and the tail of the rampart was revetted with planks. There was no evidence of any structures within the interior. It has been concluded that the ringwork was abandoned before it was completed. There is no evidence of an associated bailey either from the excavation or from earliest maps. The ground surface beneath the r

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.