Hill forts · South West England
King's Castle
King's Castle — Iron Age enclosed hilltop settlement in Somerset, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
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Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Nearest railway station
- Mendip Vale · 7.7 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
About
King's Castle is a hill fort in the United Kingdom. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Wikidata describes it as: "Iron Age enclosed hilltop settlement in Somerset, England, UK". Coordinates: 51.2083°, -2.6188°.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- National Nature Reserve: MENDIP
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
King's Castle is an Iron Age enclosed hilltop settlement at the south-western edge of the Mendip Hills near Wells in Somerset, England. Though there are many prehistoric sites in the surrounding area, it remains one of the earliest known settlements in the immediate vicinity of Wells, and may have been a precursor to the present day city. It consists of two or three interlinked sub-enclosures, with what appears to be a field system extending to the east; an unusual layout, the site remains relatively little studied and has not been archaeologically excavated. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and shares its name with the surrounding King's Castle Wood—today a Somerset Wildlife Trust nature reserve—though this name is probably a modern invention.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Hill forts developed in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age, roughly the start of the first millennium BC. The reason for their emergence in Britain, and their purpose, has been a subject of debate. It has been argued that they could have been military sites constructed in response to invasion from continental Europe, sites built by invaders, or a military reaction to social tensions caused by an increasing population and consequent pressure on agriculture. The dominant view since the 1960s has been that the increasing use of iron led to social changes in Britain. Deposits of iron ore were located in different places to the tin and copper ore necessary to make bronze, and as a result trading…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.2083, -2.6188
- District
- Somerset
- Parish
- Wells
- Postcode
- BA5 3LT
- Parliamentary constituency
- Wells and Mendip Hills
- Nearest railway station
- Mendip Vale — 7.7 km
- Official site
- www.somersetheritage.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q6410863 (CC0)
- wikipedia: King's Castle, Wells (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: King's Castle, Wells LIDAR (DTM 1m).png (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is King's Castle?
- King's Castle is in South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode BA5 3LT), in the parish of Wells.
- Who owns King's Castle?
- King's Castle is owned by English Heritage.
- Is King's Castle a listed building?
- King's Castle is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Is King's Castle a protected site?
- Yes — King's Castle is part of the MENDIP National Nature Reserve.
- Is King's Castle free to visit?
- Yes, King's Castle is free to enter.
- How do I get to King's Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Mendip Vale, about 7.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BA5 3LT.