Barbury Castle
Barbury Castle
Barbary Castle is an ancient hillfort together with an adjacent bowl barrow.
Hillforts like Barbury Castle are known to have been in use between 600 BC to the middle of the first century CE. Bowl barrows are usually dated between 2400 and 1500 BC, however the barrow here appears to cut into the south escarpment of the hillfort.
The hillfort includes two rings of banks and ditches enclosing an oval area of around 4.5 hectares.
To the north, there is a slight counter-scarp bank which has been much disturbed by quarrying in the past.
There are two original entrances at Barbury Castle, situated to the east and west of the enclosure. A former track running between these follows the parish boundary between Wroughton and Ogbourne St Andrew.
A number of archaeological finds have been made in and around the hillfort over the years and a small scale excavation was carried out in 1875. The finds included an Iron Age blacksmith’s hoard which contained parts of chariot harness furniture, a chariot wheel nave-hoop, sickles, spear heads and other metal work.
Pottery found at Barbury Castle hillfort has been mainly Iron Age and Romano-British.
Barbury Castle was occupied by the United States Army during World War II and has an Ordnance Survey triangulation pillar on the inner rampart, just north of the eastern entrance.
Barbury Castle is in North Wessex Downs AONB, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Created: 6 August 2022 Edited: 29 November 2023
Barbury Castle
Barbury Castle LiDAR Map
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
Local History around Barbury Castle
There are some historic monuments around including:
Two enclosures on Winterbourne DownBowl barrow forming part of a Bronze Age cemetery 400m north-east of West Kennett Farm on Overton HillBowl barrow and a saucer barrow 200m north of Rockley PlantationBell barrow 350m south-west of Barbury BarnEarthworks on Marlborough CommonMedieval settlement remains at OvertownBowl barrow 770m south west of the junction of the Ridgeway and Green Street, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Avebury DownBowl barrow immediately west of the Ridgeway, 400m north east of its junction with Green StreetBowl barrow 50m north of Barrow FarmBell barrow and adjacent bowl barrow on Marlborough Common, 120m east of Wootton Bassett RoadBowl barrow 750m east of New BarnBarrow 350yds (320m) E of Smeathe's Plantation, Ogbourne DownBowl barrow 1km north-east of Avebury and 70m north of Green StreetBarrow on Avebury Down, S of track from AveburyBowl barrow 900m SSE of Green BankGroup of round barrows on Rough HillThree sections of a linear earthwork south west of New BarnBarrow on Coombe Down, 930yds (830m) WSW of St George's ChurchThree confluent round barrows 580m west of the Ridgeway, forming part of a Bronze Age round barrow cemetery on Avebury DownBarbury Castle Farm deserted Medieval villageSite of watermill 290m south east of West LeazeSharpridge field systemBowl barrow 200m south of Green Street and 1100m east of the Avebury henge monument, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Avebury DownSix bowl barrows 560m north of New Barn: part of a barrow cemetery on Monkton DownGroup of four round barrows 300m north west of the junction between the Ridgeway and Green Street on Avebury DownIron Age enclosure on Overton Hill, 600m north west of North FarmPair of round barrows 400m west of the Ridgeway, forming part of a round barrow cemetery situated on Avebury DownEnclosure on Ogbourne DownBowl barrow 1450m south of Barbury Castle FarmSharpridge earthworksGroup of six round barrows forming part of a Bronze Age cemetery 400m north-east of West Kennett FarmBarbury Castle: a hillfort and bowl barrowGreen Bank bowl barrow, 230m east of the Avebury henge monumentPreshute Down field systemDevil's Den long barrow, 600m east of White AcreStone circle immediately north east of Day House, CoateAvebury henge and stone circlesBowl barrow 500m north-west of Berwick Bassett ClumpMedieval settlement and associated ridge and furrow, West LeazeBell barrow forming part of a round barrow cemetery 400m north-east of West Kennett Farm on Overton HillBowl barrow 70m north of Green Street and east of the Avebury henge monumentEarthwork enclosure and dewpond 490m north of Barbury CastleWick Down Farm earthworkBowl barrow 500m west of The RowBowl barrow 210m north east of Rushy Platt FarmPair of round barrows forming part of the Bronze Age round barrow cemetery 400m north-east of West Kennett FarmDisc barrow on Burderop Down, 1km north-east of Upper Herdswick FarmTwo bowl barrows 820m north of Rockley Manor: part of the Rockley Plantation barrow cemeteryBowl barrow 750m north of Rockley Manor: part of the Rockley Plantation barrow cemeteryBowl barrow 375m east of Wick Bottom BarnBowl barrow 690m north of Rockley Manor: part of the Rockley Plantation barrow cemeteryBowl barrow 750m south-east of Barbury Castle FarmBowl barrow 300m east of Ivy House FarmBowl barrow 650m ESE of New Barn, between Avebury Down and Monkton DownBowl barrow 800m south-east of Ogbourne St Andrew FarmBowl barrow 1km west of Sheppard's Farm DairyRound barrow 750yds (690m) SE of Smeathe's PlantationBowl barrow 70m north of Rockley PlantationPrehistoric to post-medieval settlement, cultivation, industrial and funerary remains on Fyfield, Overton and Manton DownsDam of King's fishpondBincknoll CampBowl barrow 870m ESE of New Barn on Monkton DownSaucer barrow 620m north of New Barn: Part of a barrow cemetery on Monkton DownTwo bowl barrows 680m north of Upper Herdswick Farm, Barbury DownBowl barrow 800m south-east of Barbury BarnBowl barrow 85m north east of Day House CottagesBell barrow 200m north of Rockley PlantationBowl barrow 300m south-east of Walker's PlantationBowl barrow 880m north of Rockley Manor: part of the Rockley Plantation barrow cemeteryBowl barrow 800m north-east of Hackpen BarnSaucer barrow: part of a barrow cemetery west of Barbury CastleBowl barrow 620m north of Rockley Manor: part of the Rockley Plantation barrow cemeteryField system and earthwork enclosure on Burderop DownThree bowl barrows: part of a barrow cemetery west of Barbury CastleBarrow on Smeathe's RidgeOgbourne Maizey Down round barrowRound barrow cemetery 400m south of Avebury henge monument on Waden HillBarrow on Coombe Down, 1070yds (980m) NE of Upper PoughcombeGroup of four round barrows 500m south-east of Avebury Down Barn, forming part of a Bronze Age round barrow cemetery on Avebury DownRemains of Holy Rood Church, The Lawn, Old TownMound in churchyardBowl barrow 630m north east of Wick Bottom BarnEarthwork enclosure 950m SSE of Manor FarmBell barrow 300m south-east of Avebury Down Barn forming part of a Bronze Age round barrow cemetery on Avebury DownBowl barrow 900m south west of the junction of the Ridgeway and Green Street, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Avebury DownTwo earthwork enclosures and a linear earthwork 625m north of Barbury CastleRemains of `Falkner's Circle', a Neolithic stone circle 180m east of the West Kennet AvenueCross in the churchyard of St John the Baptist and St HelenLinear barrow cemetery on Hackpen HillPenning bell barrow 600m east of Avebury Down BarnCastle moundVillage settlement on Barton Down.
