Whitsbury Castle, or Whitsbury Castle Ditches, is the site of an Iron Age univallate hillfort located near the village of Whitsbury in Hampshire. The fort is roughly pear-shaped, located on a chalk outcrop, and covering approximately sixteen acres. The defenses comprise two large ramparts with outer ditches and an additional counter scarp bank on the northern half.[1] The original entrance was at the southwestern corner but has been destroyed by the construction of a post-medieval manor house. The site has been in use throughout the ages, with excavation revealing mesolithic activity, an association with a Bronze Age ranch boundary, an Iron Age hillfort settlement, followed much later by Anglo-Saxon renovation and reuse of the defences.[2] The site is privately owned but is flanked externally on all sides but east by public bridleways.
 The outermost ditch of Whitsbury Castle | |
  Shown within Hampshire | |
| Location | Hampshire |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 50°58′34″N 1°49′09″W / 50.9760°N 1.8193°W |
| Area | 16 acres (6.5 ha) |
| History | |
| Periods | Iron Age |
| Site notes | |
| Public access | on private land |
The site was designated a scheduled monument in 1925,[3] giving it protection and recognition as a nationally important archaeological site.[4]
Location
editThe site is located at grid reference SU127196, and to the north of the village of Whitsbury, in the county of Hampshire. The site lies at a level of 115m to 120 AOD.
References
edit- ^ http://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/vol05/page317.html Hampshire Treasures website
- ^ http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=11334 The Megalithic Portal
- ^ Historic England. "Whitsbury hillfort (1020316)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ What Are Scheduled Monuments?, Historic England, retrieved 18 July 2024
See also
edit- List of places in Hampshire
- List of hill forts in England
- List of hill forts in Scotland
- List of hill forts in Wales