Castle Neroche is in a striking location on the northern escarpment overlooking the Vale of Taunton. It is an early Norman earthwork castle built on an earlier Saxon and possibly Iron Age defended site.
Hemyock Castle is a good example of a fortified manor house of the later Medieval period.
Dunkeswell Abbey was founded in the 13th century. It is likely to have had a significant influence on the wider landscape through its grange farms and probable involvement in iron production.
The Blackdown Hills National Landscape is exceptional because of the large number of Medieval houses still intact. Examples include Membury Court, Whitestaunton Manor and Lower Lye at Stockland. Many are Grade II* listed buildings. They contain particularly fine woodwork in the form of screens, ceilings and jetties – evidence of the transition from open hall houses to more modern forms. A particularly large number of Medieval houses can be seen in Broadhembury.
