Castle Folds

Castle Folds, also known as Castlesteads, is a Romano-British defended stone-walled settlement on Great Asby Scar, an area of limestone pavement in the parish of Asby, Cumbria. The settlement occupies a flat-topped limestone knoll, enclosed by walls originally 2.4 metres thick and thought to have stood around 3-4 metres high with a parapet. Built by native inhabitants rather than Roman occupiers, it was constructed purely for defence against a specific major threat, with its considerable proportions reflecting the seriousness of that danger. The site contains hut circles within the enclosure walls. In medieval times it was reused as a shieling for summer livestock grazing. It is now in ruins but protected as a scheduled monument.