A scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or monument which is given legal protection by being placed on a list (or "schedule") by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; English Heritage takes the leading role in identifying such sites. The legislation governing this is the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The term "monument" can apply to the whole range of archaeological sites, and they are not always visible above ground. Such sites have to have been deliberately constructed by human activity. They range from prehistoric standing stones and burial sites, through Roman remains and Medieval structures such as castles and monasteries, to later structures such as industrial sites and buildings constructed for the World Wars or the Cold War.[2]
The Medieval period is represented by several churchyard crosses. The defensive walls and part of Taunton Castle, which has Anglo-Saxon origins and was expanded during the Medieval and Tudor eras, is included.[9][10] More recent sites include Poundisford Park, Buckland Priory, Bradford Bridge and a duck decoy from the 17th century. Some of the sites such as Balt Moor Wall are of uncertain date; however the most recent are air traffic control buildings, pillboxes and fighter pens from RAF Culmhead, situated at Churchstanton on the Blackdown Hills.[11][12] The monuments are listed below using the titles given in the English Heritage data sheets.
The remains of a 550 metres (1,800 ft) section of medieval causeway, which now forms a raised embankment between 6 metres (20 ft) and 10 metres (33 ft) wide and up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) high.
An irregular oval bowl barrow which is 24 metres (79 ft) long, 14 metres (46 ft) wide and approximately 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) high, surrounded by a 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide ditch which has since been filled in.
A Bowl barrow which is 12 metres (39 ft) in diameter and 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) high on which a folly was built in the 18th century. The folly tower was destroyed in 1910.
An area approximately 150 metres (490 ft) by 61 metres (200 ft) opposite the priory which contains the remains of three fishponds. The ponds were probably dug in the 13th century and were filled in by 1725.
Sited on a hill where the River Tone and the old course of the River Cary join the River Parrett, above the surrounding low lying land of the Somerset Levels. Archeological surveys have shown some Roman material and three medieval pits. It is likely that it was a Normanmotte which may have been built during The Anarchy between 1135 and 1153. A medieval church dedicated to St Michael, belonging to the Athelney Abbey, dates from at least the mid 15th century. In 1793, the church was rebuilt. The hill and ruined roofless nave with the remains of the porch, some window openings without tracery were presented, in 1946, to the National Trust and serve as a memorial to the 11,281 Somerset men who lost their lives during the first and second world wars.
Crop marks show evidence of a rectangular enclosure 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above the surrounding fields. Excavations in the 1950s indicated it was likely to be the remains of a Roman fort.
A medieval cross on an octagonal base. The shaft is approximately 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) high. The decorated lantern head was added as part of restoration in 1908.
King's Castle is a Neolithichillfort surrounded by two banks with a ditch between them. The inner wall ranges up to 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) high and the outer wall gets up to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) high. Arrowheads, scrapers, and borers have been found at the site.
The earthwork consists of a single circular rampart (univallate) up to 3 m high, with three holloway entrances dominated by linear banks extending out from the main perimeter. The ring has a diameter of about 250 metres (820 ft), enclosing an area of 5 hectares (12 acres). The fort is at the top of low hill about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) north of the River Tone. It is on the Heritage at Risk Register.
The park surrounding Poundisford Park covers around 180 hectares (444.8 acres) including 2 hectares (4.9 acres) of gardens and pleasure grounds, and 178 hectares (440 acres) which were enclosed within the medieval park pale, which formed an elliptical shape, of which 40 hectares (99 acres) remains as parkland today. The park pale was a barrier to contain deer made of an earthen bank from 4 metres (13.1 ft) to 7 metres (23.0 ft) wide and up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) high. It is on the Heritage at Risk Register.
Two bowl barrows and a cairn, which has a higher proportion of stone than soil, all dating from the Bronze Age. Each is around 20 metres (66 ft) in diameter and 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) high.
Two crosses, one of hamstone and the other red sandstone. The cross nearest the church has a 19th century base holding the cross shaft which is from the 14th century. The second cross has a carving of John the Baptist on the east face.
^The date given is the date used by Historic England as significant for the initial building or that of an important part in the structure's description.