Brewer's Castle

Brewer’s Castle is an Iron Age hill fort on Hawkridge Ridge Wood in Somerset, about three kilometres west of Dulverton. It stands on a ridge that once gave defenders a clear view of the surrounding countryside. The earthworks show where ramparts and ditches once stood to protect the settlement. Nearby Mounsey Castle lies only a short distance away across the same ridge. These forts belong to a period when iron tools began to change British society. Experts believe the forts were built as defensive strongholds when tensions rose in growing communities. Archaeologist Barry Cunliffe argues that population pressure and the shift to iron working both played a part. Some forts were attacked and destroyed, but their main role was to provide safety during times of trouble. The debate over their purpose shows how much these sites still teach about the past. Visitors walk among grassy banks that mark the old ramparts and ditches. The ridge offers wide views over the Somerset countryside. The site is quiet, with only the sounds of wind and birds. Nearby Mounsey Castle can be seen from parts of the ridge. The earthworks remain as clear evidence of how people lived more than two thousand years ago.