What is recorded here

King Alfred rebuilt the Iron Age cliff fort around 878 AD to block Viking ships entering the Bristol Channel, creating a coastal defence chain above Watchet. Vikings still struck in 914, 987 and 997, but the chronicle says many drowned or died rather than escape. The castle may have held the Saxon mint established at Watchet in 1035, putting coin-making inside the fort instead of the harbour below. Erosion, farming, limekilns and the B3191 road have since torn much of that defensive line away.

The National Heritage List for England records Daw's Castle as a scheduled monument. The saved point comes from the centre supplied by the official record. Listing does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.

Daw's Castle is a medieval hill fort, likely constructed during the Iron Age and later reused in the early medieval period, though the specific builders and occupants remain unidentified. It is important as a scheduled monument, recognized for its historical and archaeological significance in understanding prehistoric and medieval settlement patterns in the region.

The historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.