Voley Castle

Voley Castle is an Iron Age hill fort on a promontory of Heale Down in north Devon, about 230 metres above sea level. It stands near another Iron Age fort at Beacon Castle and is one of the rare slight univallate hillforts mainly found in Devon. The fort has a circular enclosure about 68 metres across, surrounded by a wide earthen bank and an outer ditch. Inside the enclosure traces of a platform and a circular depression can still be seen. A modern fence cuts across the site just west of the main entrance. The fort overlooks the valley of the River Heddon and offers clear views down the valley and north towards the sea. Its position on a level shelf below the hill crest makes defence difficult, so archaeologists think it was more likely a defended farmstead. The enclosure may have held cattle or crops, and the outwork to the south and west could have served as a cattle pen. Only eight similar sites exist on Exmoor, but Voley Castle is the only one placed in an indefensible spot. Visitors walk the grassy enclosure and see the low bank and shallow ditch that once marked the defences. The platform on the west side and the circular hollow in the southwest corner hint at past buildings or storage. From the site the valley stretches away below, and the sea is visible to the north. The outwork’s second bank and ditch run outside the main enclosure, adding to the sense of an organised settlement.