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:
Mound in churchyardField system and earthwork enclosure on Burderop DownSite of watermill 290m south east of West LeazeBarbury Castle: a hillfort and bowl barrowBarrow on Avebury Down, S of track from AveburyBowl barrow 650m ESE of New Barn, between Avebury Down and Monkton DownBowl barrow 500m west of The RowBowl barrow 870m ESE of New Barn on Monkton DownBell barrow 350m south-west of Barbury BarnBowl barrow 800m north-east of Hackpen BarnDam of King's fishpondGroup of four round barrows 300m north west of the junction between the Ridgeway and Green Street on Avebury DownBowl barrow forming part of a Bronze Age cemetery 400m north-east of West Kennett Farm on Overton HillGroup of four round barrows 500m south-east of Avebury Down Barn, forming part of a Bronze Age round barrow cemetery on Avebury DownTwo earthwork enclosures and a linear earthwork 625m north of Barbury CastleBowl barrow 800m south-east of Barbury BarnSaucer barrow: part of a barrow cemetery west of Barbury CastlePrehistoric to post-medieval settlement, cultivation, industrial and funerary remains on Fyfield, Overton and Manton DownsStone circle immediately north east of Day House, CoateBell barrow 200m north of Rockley PlantationTwo bowl barrows 820m north of Rockley Manor: part of the Rockley Plantation barrow cemeteryPreshute Down field systemBowl barrow 85m north east of Day House CottagesRound barrow cemetery 400m south of Avebury henge monument on Waden HillRound barrow 750yds (690m) SE of Smeathe's PlantationGreen Bank bowl barrow, 230m east of the Avebury henge monumentBowl barrow 770m south west of the junction of the Ridgeway and Green Street, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Avebury DownBowl barrow 300m east of Ivy House FarmPair of round barrows forming part of the Bronze Age round barrow cemetery 400m north-east of West Kennett FarmEarthworks on Marlborough CommonBowl barrow 375m east of Wick Bottom BarnOgbourne Maizey Down round barrowBowl barrow 620m north of Rockley Manor: part of the Rockley Plantation barrow cemeteryMedieval settlement and associated ridge and furrow, West LeazeBowl barrow 1km west of Sheppard's Farm DairyEarthwork enclosure 950m SSE of Manor FarmSix bowl barrows 560m north of New Barn: part of a barrow cemetery on Monkton DownBowl barrow and a saucer barrow 200m north of Rockley PlantationBowl barrow 900m south west of the junction of the Ridgeway and Green Street, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Avebury DownPenning bell barrow 600m east of Avebury Down BarnMedieval settlement remains at OvertownBowl barrow 750m south-east of Barbury Castle FarmSharpridge earthworksBincknoll CampPair of round barrows 400m west of the Ridgeway, forming part of a round barrow cemetery situated on Avebury DownBowl barrow 880m north of Rockley Manor: part of the Rockley Plantation barrow cemeteryBowl barrow 1450m south of Barbury Castle FarmBarrow on Smeathe's RidgeCross in the churchyard of St John the Baptist and St HelenDevil's Den long barrow, 600m east of White AcreVillage settlement on Barton DownDisc barrow on Burderop Down, 1km north-east of Upper Herdswick FarmRemains of `Falkner's Circle', a Neolithic stone circle 180m east of the West Kennet AvenueSharpridge field systemBell barrow and adjacent bowl barrow on Marlborough Common, 120m east of Wootton Bassett RoadThree sections of a linear earthwork south west of New BarnBowl barrow 70m north of Green Street and east of the Avebury henge monumentBarbury Castle Farm deserted Medieval villageAvebury henge and stone circlesLinear barrow cemetery on Hackpen HillCastle moundBowl barrow 500m north-west of Berwick Bassett ClumpBowl barrow 200m south of Green Street and 1100m east of the Avebury henge monument, forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Avebury DownSaucer barrow 620m north of New Barn: Part of a barrow cemetery on Monkton DownBowl barrow 630m north east of Wick Bottom BarnBarrow on Coombe Down, 1070yds (980m) NE of Upper PoughcombeBowl barrow immediately west of the Ridgeway, 400m north east of its junction with Green StreetBowl barrow 210m north east of Rushy Platt FarmBowl barrow 750m north of Rockley Manor: part of the Rockley Plantation barrow cemeteryBowl barrow 300m south-east of Walker's PlantationBowl barrow 50m north of Barrow FarmRemains of Holy Rood Church, The Lawn, Old TownBowl barrow 70m north of Rockley PlantationBowl barrow 690m north of Rockley Manor: part of the Rockley Plantation barrow cemeteryBowl barrow 800m south-east of Ogbourne St Andrew FarmTwo enclosures on Winterbourne DownBowl barrow 1km north-east of Avebury and 70m north of Green StreetThree confluent round barrows 580m west of the Ridgeway, forming part of a Bronze Age round barrow cemetery on Avebury DownBarrow on Coombe Down, 930yds (830m) WSW of St George's ChurchBowl barrow 750m east of New BarnGroup of six round barrows forming part of a Bronze Age cemetery 400m north-east of West Kennett FarmBarrow 350yds (320m) E of Smeathe's Plantation, Ogbourne DownIron Age enclosure on Overton Hill, 600m north west of North FarmBell barrow 300m south-east of Avebury Down Barn forming part of a Bronze Age round barrow cemetery on Avebury DownBowl barrow 900m SSE of Green BankGroup of round barrows on Rough HillEarthwork enclosure and dewpond 490m north of Barbury CastleBell barrow forming part of a round barrow cemetery 400m north-east of West Kennett Farm on Overton HillThree bowl barrows: part of a barrow cemetery west of Barbury CastleEnclosure on Ogbourne DownWick Down Farm earthworkTwo bowl barrows 680m north of Upper Herdswick Farm, Barbury Down.
