List of scheduled monuments in South Somerset Facts for Kids

South Somerset shown within Somerset and England

South Somerset is a local government area in Somerset, England. It covers about 958 square kilometers and has around 162,000 people. The main town for the area is Yeovil.

This article tells you about some of the amazing old places in South Somerset. These places are called "scheduled monuments." They are very important historical or archaeological sites that are protected by law. This means they are special and need to be looked after for everyone to learn from. Historic England helps find and protect these sites.

What are Scheduled Monuments?
Ancient History in South Somerset
- Hillforts and Burial Mounds
- Roman Life
Medieval Times and Beyond
Images for kids
See also

What are Scheduled Monuments?

A scheduled monument is like a super important historical treasure. It could be an old building, a ruin, or even just marks in the ground. These sites are given special legal protection because they teach us a lot about the past. They must have been built or shaped by people a long, long time ago.

These special places can be very old, from prehistoric times. This includes things like ancient burial mounds or hillforts. They can also be from the Roman period, with remains of old towns or villas. Some are from the Middle Ages, like castles and monasteries. Even more recent sites, like old industrial buildings or structures from the World Wars, can be scheduled. South Somerset has 69 of these protected sites!

Ancient History in South Somerset

South Somerset is full of history, going back thousands of years! Some of the oldest scheduled monuments here are from the Neolithic (New Stone Age), Bronze Age, and Iron Age.

Hillforts and Burial Mounds

Many of these ancient sites are hillforts. These were large, fortified settlements built on hills. People lived there and used the high ground for protection. One example is Kenwalch's Castle, an Iron Age hillfort on Pen Hill. It has strong banks and ditches that are still visible today. Another big one is Ham Hill Hillfort, one of the largest hillforts in Britain! It covers a huge area and was used by people for thousands of years.

You can also find Bowl barrows. These are round mounds of earth built to bury people during the Bronze Age. Imagine building a big hill just for a burial! One famous one is called 'Wimble Toot' in Babcary. It's a circular mound that might have been a burial site or even a small castle later on.

Roman Life

The Romano-British period also left its mark. The Romans built impressive villas and towns. One amazing site is the Low Ham Roman Villa. It had a beautiful mosaic floor that told the story of Aeneas and Dido. This mosaic is now on display at the Museum of Somerset. It's the oldest story-telling artwork found in Roman Britain!

Other Roman villa sites include Chessels Roman villa in East Coker and Melbury Roman villa near Somerton. These villas show us how wealthy Romans lived in the countryside. The Roman town of Ilchester also has remains of its past, including an old fort and civilian area.

Medieval Times and Beyond

The Middle Ages (around 500 to 1500 AD) also left many important scheduled monuments in South Somerset.

Castles and Abbeys

You can find several motte-and-bailey castles. These were early types of castles built after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. They had a mound (motte) with a tower and a walled courtyard (bailey). Cary Castle in Castle Cary is one such example. It was built in the 11th or 12th century. Montacute Castle is another, built by Robert of Mortain soon after the Norman Conquest.

Religious sites were very important in medieval times. Muchelney Abbey was probably founded way back in the 8th century. It was a Benedictine monastery. Today, you can see its ruined walls and the old Abbott's House. Bruton Abbey was another important religious site, first a priory and then an abbey.

Old Villages and Crosses

Some scheduled monuments are the remains of deserted medieval villages. These are places where people used to live, but for some reason, the villages were abandoned. You can still see the earthworks (marks in the ground) that show where houses and streets once were. Examples include Bineham City deserted village and Nether Adber deserted village.

Many old churchyards have medieval crosses. These crosses were important meeting points and religious symbols. You can find them in places like Broadway and Drayton. They often have carved figures or designs.

Bridges and Other Structures

Several old packhorse bridges are also protected. These narrow bridges were built for packhorses to carry goods across rivers. Bow Bridge, Plox in Bruton is a beautiful 15th-century example over the River Brue.

More recent monuments include The Round House in Castle Cary. This small, circular stone building from 1779 was a village lock-up, a place where people who broke the law were held temporarily. There are also several duck decoys. These were special ponds with channels used to catch wild ducks, often built in the 17th century.

These scheduled monuments help us understand the long and rich history of South Somerset, from ancient times to more recent centuries.