ANCIENT EARTHWORKS 



TO tvn 



rapidly descends with a natural scarp, making the fort almost inaccessible by reason of its steepness 

 and irregularities, except on the west side, from which the camp is easily approached by a gentle 

 slope. On this 

 side is the entrance 

 into the fosse, but 

 the gateway into 

 the bailey is to- 

 wards the south, 

 thus allowing of 

 no direct inlet. 



The base of 

 the hill is sur- 

 rounded on three 

 sides by two streams 

 of the Coombe 

 Lake which, join- 

 ing on the south- 

 west side, flow into 

 the River Torridge. 



TOTNES (O.S. 

 cxxi, 5). — Totnes 

 Castle. Situated 

 on the ancient road 

 from Exeter to the 

 Tamar, the town of Totnes is built on the acclivity of the right bank of the River Dart. 



At the north-west of the town and on the summit of the hill, stand the great mount with 

 its bailey, and the castle built by the Norman baron Judhael, who assumed the surname of 

 * de Totnes.' 



The fosse surrounding the mount is to a great extent destroyed, buildings being erected on 

 part of its site, although we were able to trace a certain length of it in the gardens of the dwelling- 

 houses. The fosse around the bailey to the north-west of the mount is exceedingly strong, 

 varying in depth to 20 ft. A promenade beneath venerable trees has been made on the vallum 

 since the last military occupation of the castle by General Goring during the Great Rebellion. 

 From the rampart is a natural descent of very great depth to the town. The lines of a second and 

 larger court at the base of the castle hill are nearly obliterated by buildings. {Plan on next page), 



Wembworthy (O.S. xlii, 8). — In Heywood Wood, on the west bank of the River Taw, in 

 the park of Eggesford House, 2 miles south-west of Chulmleigh, are two earthworks which come 

 within this class, and also a small entrenchment which lies between them. 



The northernmost of these is a circular mount and bailey, so covered in dense undergrowth 

 that it was with difficulty the results were obtained. The mount, 160 ft. in diameter, is 26 ft. 

 perpendicular height, and the summit, hollow, is surrounded by a rampart which, at its highest 

 point on the west, rises 1 2 ft. from the interior. The fosse around the mount is generally 9 ft. in 



Plympton Castle. 





DuRFLEY Castle, Shebbear. 

 621 



