Castle Ditches

Iron Age hillfort in Wiltshire, England

51°03′14″N 2°03′15″W / 51.0540°N 2.0542°W / 51.0540; -2.0542Area24 acresHistoryPeriodsIron AgeSite notesPublic accessno

Scheduled monument

IdentifiersNHLE1005701

Castle Ditches is the site of an Iron Age trivallate hillfort in the south-east of Tisbury parish in Wiltshire, England.

It is probable that its ancient name was Spelsbury; it was referred to as Willburge in Tisbury's charter of 984 A.D.^[1] Its shape is roughly triangular, and follows the contours of the small hill upon which it sits. The earthworks comprise a triple row of ramparts and ditches, now covered on three sides by woodland. There is a large entrance towards the south-east, where there is the shallowest incline of the hill; but there is also a narrow slit on the opposite side. The area within the site encompasses nearly 24 acres (9.7 ha), and the greatest height of the ramparts is about 40 feet (12 m).^[2]^[3]

Castle Ditches was recorded as a Scheduled Monument in 1932.^[4]

Location

The site is at grid reference ST964282, about 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) south-east of Tisbury village. The hill has a summit of 193m AOD and overlooks the valley of the River Nadder to the north. Public footpaths surround the site, but the land is privately owned.

References

^ Tisbury Local History Society (1984). Looking Around Tisbury. Castle Cary, Somerset: Inkwell Design & Print.
^ The Ancient History of Wiltshire, by Sir Richard Colt Hoare, published 1812, Chapter No. 11 - Station 8: Fovant
^ "Castle Ditches (Wiltshire)". The Megalithic Portal. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
^ Historic England. "Castle Ditches camp (1005701)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 April 2020.