Mells Down Camp hillfort survives as a major double ditched enclosure, consisting of a ploughed down earthwork of a univallate enclosure. Aerial photographs indicate a larger single ditched enclosure attached to the west of the main enclosure, which is triple or quadruple ditched in places, together enclosing an area of over 12 acres.

The surviving bank is up to 1m high in places and around 10m wide. The tenant farmer did not known of its existence and had driven a water pipe line through it in recent years, which was observed to expose part of a large buried ditch in section.

Outlying earthworks are present along its southern and western sides; there appear to be two entrances – one to the NE being a simple break in the bank and ditch and a more complex one to the NW, with associated outworks. Two trenches across the earthworks were opened to assess the plough damage (PRN 14048).

Major double-ditched enclosure with complex superimposition at centre.

Location

OS map reference: ST 724 516. Nearest town/village: Kilmersdon.

Data kindly supplied by the Somerset Historic Environment Record.

Record created on 02 July 2001

© Copyright Somerset County Council 2007