Bratton Camp Hillfort, Westbury, Wiltshire

Bratton Camp Castle (also known as 'Bratton Castle ') is an Iron Age hillfort. It has two ditches and banks which together enclose an area of 9.3 hectares. Some parts of it have been damaged by quarrying in the past. It was excavated by Jeffery Whittaker, a local schoolmaster, before 1775. This 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 the fort. The site is also believed to enclose the remains of a Neolithic long barrow (burial chamber). The Westbury Whitehorse, a hill figure first documented in 1742, lies on the west side of the hillfort. This site is now in the care of English Heritage (2010). Read detailed archaeological description.

Location

Wiltshire Westbury

Period

Prehistoric (to AD42)

Tags

iron age hillfort defence neolithic barrow archaeology aerial view english heritage stone age