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Maiden Castle, North Yorkshire

Coordinates: 54°22′42″N 1°58′04″W / 54.37826°N 1.967872°W / 54.37826; -1.967872
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Maiden Castle
Earthworks at Maiden Castle
Maiden Castle, North Yorkshire is located in North Yorkshire
Maiden Castle, North Yorkshire
Location within North Yorkshire
General information
Town or cityGrinton, North Yorkshire
CountryEngland
Coordinates54°22′42″N 1°58′04″W / 54.37826°N 1.967872°W / 54.37826; -1.967872
Technical details
Size7,000 m2 (1.7 acres)

Maiden Castle is a settlement in Grinton, North Yorkshire (grid reference SE02189808) which probably dates from the Iron Age. It is listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.[1][2] The name Maiden Castle is not unique to the site and occurs in several other places in Britain and probably means a "fortification that looks impregnable" or one that has never been taken in battle.[3]

The site measures 108 by 88 m (354 by 289 ft), covering about 7,000 m2 (1.7 acres), and is pear-shaped. An avenue leading to the entrance of the settlement is a unique feature. Maiden Castle has been described as a banjo enclosure due to its shape, however this description has been disputed.[1] If it is a banjo enclosure, it would be one of just two in northern England, the other being Fremington Dykes.[1]

The only dating evidence recovered from Maiden Castle is a "post-and-panel building" which is typologically similar to a structure discovered in Healaugh that has been dated to the late Iron Age or Romano-British periods.[1]

References

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Notes
  1. ^ a b c d Historic England. "Maiden Castle (48766)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  2. ^ Historic England. "Maiden Castle prehistoric defended settlement and adjacent round barrow (1012609)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  3. ^ Mills (1977), p. 377.
Bibliography
  • Mills, A. D. (1977). The Place-names of Dorset: Part I the Isle of Purbeck, the Hundreds of Rowbarrow, Hasler, Winfrith, Culliford Tree, Bere Regis, Barrow, Puddletown, St George. Vol. 52. English Place-name Society. p. 377. ISBN 0-904889-02-5.