Woodbury Castle A glimpse of ancient history in East Devon by Philip Strange
T
he Pebblebed Heaths in East Devon constitute the largest block of lowland heath in the county. Named for the underlying pebble-rich geology, this extensive area of heathland lies along a ridge between the Otter and Exe rivers. Many rare creatures flourish here and numerous remnants of past lives are also dotted about. These include prehistoric burial mounds and earthworks but the archaeological jewel in the crown of this special East Devon place is the Iron Age hillfort of Woodbury Castle. Its extensive ramparts are at least 2500 years old but remarkably well preserved and holding a history well worth uncovering, as I found when I visited on a sunny day towards the end of August. Woodbury Castle is situated on Woodbury Common, one of the tracts of heathland making up the Pebblebed Heaths and I parked in the visitors car park, set in a clearing surrounded by trees and scrub. Rose bay willowherb also grew there, its bright pink flowers partly replaced by white cotton wool seeds, a rather unsubtle reminder of the impending approach of autumn. The earthworks of Woodbury Castle were a short walk from the car park, partly concealed in a grove of broad leaf trees. It was only when I got closer to the Castle that the size and extent of the earthen ramparts became clear. The main fortification consists of two impressive soil ridges, separated by a deep ditch, that snake their way around the perimeter of the site. Further soil barriers and ditches provide additional protection in some parts. In the past, visitors were able to scramble across the earthworks leading to considerable erosion. Recent repairs have added wooden stairways to protect the ramparts and provide easier access. I climbed the stairway over the lower ridge and paused at the bottom of the ditch to get a better view of the ramparts and to appreciate their size. After scaling the second, higher ridge, I descended about three metres into a large, roughly oval, open area approximately the size of two football pitches. This is the main enclosure protected by the fortifications. Dappled light filtered through the mature beech trees growing there creating a peaceful scene. Helpful information boards with pictorial reconstructions were provided, giving some idea about contemporary life. Large earthworks such as these were probably centres for tribal groups. They would have required a huge effort to build and perhaps reflected the status of the community, being as much about display as defence. Excavations have provided evidence that the enclosure contained several thatched roundhouses where people lived and a granary raised above the ground to protect the contents. The site is interrupted by the road splitting it into two sections, making it difficult to
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envisage the full extent of the enclosure. This apparent desecration of an ancient site is not, however, recent and a track is thought to have existed here for many hundreds of years. I paused to stand in the enclosed area and tried to imagine life at the time. I smelt woodsmoke from fires in the roundhouses and heard the chatter of people and the noises they created as they went about their work including fashioning wooden items and spinning wool. A few were standing on the ramparts, perhaps watching for new arrivals or even invaders. Woodbury Castle is set on the highest point on the Heaths, 185 metres above sea level, and there would have been little tree cover at that time. Our lookouts would have enjoyed panoramic views across Woodbury Common—to the East over the Otter Valley, towards the sea at what are now Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton and to the west
Opposite: View of the ramparts and ditch at Woodbury Castle. Below and opposite: Brimstone butterfly on bell heather; Cross-leaved heath; Ling (heather) in the foreground with bell heather behind.
