| Summary : Bratton Castle (also known as 'Bratton Camp') is an Iron Age hillfort on Bratton Down, at the western edge of the Salisbury Plain escarpment. The hillfort is bivallate, possessing two circuits of ditch and bank which together enclose a pentagonal area of 9.3ha. The hillfort measures internally 430 metres east-west by 120 metres at the west end and 300 metres at the east end. The short west side and the long north side occupy the crest of steep escarpment slopes and the ditches are stepped one above the other, the rampart slopes rising 5 metres and 6 metres above the base of the ditches. The defences here span a total width of 30 metres. The south side of the hillfort and the southern half of the east side cross Bratton Down and here the twin ramparts are of roughly equal height and again 30 metres in total width. The northern half of the east side crosses the head of a re-entrant valley where the outer rampart and ditch have been largely destroyed by quarrying or landslips and the construction of a farm track. The short north east side straddles a narrow steep-sided ridge up which runs the Port Way. This passes through a possible original entrance, at which point the two ramparts have separated to form a small annexe, the outer ditch of which has, in places, been removed by quarrying. Quarrying has, in the past, also taken place within parts of the interior of the fort. The hillfort was one of the sites excavated by Jeffery Whittaker prior to 1775, which is thought to have been one of the earliest archaeological excavations to have taken place in Wiltshire. The excavation was poorly documented but it is believed that Roman and Saxon coins were found within the vicinity of the fort. The Westbury Whitehorse, a hill figure first documented in 1742, lies on the west side of the hillfort. |
More information : (Centred ST 901 516) Bratton Castle (NAT) Hill Fort (NR) (1)
Bratton Castle is an IA bivallate hillfort of 25 acres with an
entrance on the south and probably another on the east. The
schoolmaster at Bratton, a Mr Whitaker, had found, before 1812, some
quern stones and large pebbles in the earthwork. The latter are
suggested by Grinsell to have been a hoard of sling-bullets. (2-3)
Resurveyed at 1:2500 (4)
'Bratton Camp' (5) or 'Bratton Castle', (name confirmed locally)
an Iron Age bivallate hillfort, is situated upon a gentle
north-facing slope of Bratton Down. The work is pentagonal in
form and measures internally, 430.0m east-west by 120.0m
north-south at the west end and 300.0m at the east end.
The short west side and the long north side occupy the crest of
very steep escarpment slopes and the ditches are stepped one
above the other, the rampart slopes rising 5.0 to 6.0m from the
ditches, the defences spanning a total width of some 30.0m.
The south side and the southern half of the east side cross
Bratton Down and the twin ramparts are of equal height. The
inner ditch is 4.0m from the crest of the ramparts and the outer
ditch is 2.8m deep. The defences are again up to 30.0m in
width overall. The northern half of the east side crosses
the head of a re-entrant valley. The outer rampart and ditch
have been largely destroyed either by landslips or by the
construction of a farm track along the line of the outer ditch or
by both.
The short north-east side straddles a narrow, steep-sided ridge
up which runs the Port Way. This passes through an entrance in
this side and out through another entrance in the south side.
At both points, the outer rampart is carried out some distance
from the inner rampart to greatly increase the strength of the
entrances. Additionally on the NE, the Port Way is flanked by
banks between the ramparts of the fort which thereby create a
covered entrance of some 50.0m depth.
Old quarry workings have disturbed or destroyed much of the
outer ditch of the south side and of the outer entrance. The
hillfort is otherwise well preserved and is under pasture.
1:2500 resurvey of October 1971 still correct.
(Features depicted at 1:2500 on AM ST 9252). (6-7)
Bratton Camp was one of this sites excavated by Jeffery Whittaker
prior to 1775, and is thought to be one of the earliest
archaeological excavations to have taken place in Wiltshire. The
excavation is poorly documented with information based on
retrospective references written c. 50yrs after the event. It is
thought he found Roman and Saxon coins within the vicinity of the
camp. (8)
Bratton Camp hillfort was partially re-surveyed at 1:2500 as part of the RCHME:SPTA Project (see archive report). (9)
The Westbury Whitehorse, a hill figure first documented in 1742, lies on the west side of the hillfort. (10)
National Grid Reference. ST 90116 51638.
1:2500, 2007. (11)
A report on managing Bratton Camp and Westbury White Horse contains a brief description of the site as well as interesting information on how to manage public access. (12)
See the Heritage Unlocked book for a description of the camp and the associated white horse. (13) |