Castle Ditches

Castle Ditches
History
Woods around Castle Ditches
Shown within Wiltshire
Alternative name	Spelsbury
Location	Wiltshire
Coordinates	51°03′14″N 2°03′15″W / 51.0540°N 2.0542°W / 51.0540; -2.0542Coordinates: 51°03′14″N 2°03′15″W / 51.0540°N 2.0542°W / 51.0540; -2.0542
Area	24 acres
Periods	Iron Age
Site notes
Public access	no

Scheduled monument

Identifiers
NHLE	1005701

Castle Ditches is the site of an Iron Age trivallate hillfort in the southeast 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 southeast, 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]

3D view of the digital terrain model

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

Location[]

The site is at grid reference

ST964282, about 11⁄2 miles (2.4 km) southeast 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.

v t Iron Age hillforts in England
Bedfordshire	Mowsbury Hill Maiden Bower
Berkshire	Bussock Camp Caesar's Camp Grimsbury Castle Membury Camp Perborough Castle Walbury Camp
Bristol	Clifton Camp Kings Weston Hill
Buckinghamshire	Cholesbury Camp Desborough Castle
Cambridgeshire	Stonea Camp Wandlebury Ring
Cheshire	Bradley Eddisbury Helsby Hill Kelsborrow Castle Maiden Castle Oakmere Woodhouse Hill
Cornwall	Black Head Cadson Bury Caer Bran Castallack Round Castle an Dinas Castle Dore Castle Goff Chûn Castle Dodman Point Giant's Castle Kelly Rounds Kelsey Head Lescudjack Lesingey Round Maen Castle Padderbury Top Prideaux Castle Rame Head The Rumps Trencrom Hill Trereen Dinas Treryn Dinas Trevelgue Head Warbstow Bury
Cumbria	Carrock Fell Castle Crag
Derbyshire	Fin Cop Mam Tor
Dorset	Abbotsbury Castle Badbury Rings Banbury Hill Buzbury Rings Chalbury Hillfort Coney's Castle Dudsbury Camp Dungeon Hill Eggardon Hill Flower's Barrow Hambledon Hill Hod Hill Lambert's Castle Lewesdon Hill Maiden Castle Pilsdon Pen Poundbury Hill Woodbury Hill Woolsbarrow
East Sussex	Hollingbury Castle Mount Caburn
Essex	Ambresbury Banks Danish Camp Loughton Camp
Gloucestershire	Cleeve Hill Kimsbury Camp Uley Bury
Greater Manchester	Mellor hill fort
Hampshire	Ashleys Copse Buckland Rings Bury Hill Caesar's Camp Castle Hill Chilworth Ring Danebury Dunwood Camp Frankenbury Camp The Frith Gorley Hill Hamble Common Camp King John's Hill Knoll Camp Ladle Hill Lockerley Camp Norsebury Ring Old Winchester Hill Oram's Arbour Quarley Hill St. Catherine's Hill Tidbury Ring Toothill Fort Whitsbury Castle Woolbury
Herefordshire	Aconbury Camp British Camp Capler Camp Croft Ambrey Dinedor Camp Garmsley Camp Ivington Camp Poston Camp Sutton Walls Wapley Hill
Hertfordshire	Arbury Banks Wilbury Hill Camp
Kent	Bigbury Camp Oldbury Camp
Lancashire	Castercliff Portfield Warton Crag
Leicestershire	Burrough Hill
Norfolk	Bloodgate Hill Holkham Camp Warham Camp
North Yorkshire	Eston Nab Maiden Castle Stanwick Camp
Northamptonshire	Borough Hill Hunsbury Hill Rainsborough Camp
Northumberland	Castle Knowe Humbleton Hill Yeavering Bell
Oxfordshire	Blewburton Hill Cherbury Camp Hardwell Castle Uffington Castle
Shropshire	Bayston Hill Bury Ditches Bury Walls Caer Caradoc, Church Stretton Caer Caradog, Chapel Lawn Caus Castle Coxall Knoll Nordy Bank Old Oswestry The Wrekin
South Yorkshire	Carl Wark Wincobank
Staffordshire	Berry Ring Berth Hill Bury Bank Castle Ring Kinver Edge Hillfort
Surrey	Caesar's Camp Hascombe Hill Holmbury Hill
West Sussex	Chanctonbury Ring Cissbury Ring Goosehill Camp Harting Beacon Highdown Hill Thundersbarrow Hill The Trundle Torberry Hill
West Yorkshire	Castle Hill
Wiltshire	Ashleys Copse Barbury Castle Battlesbury Camp Bratton Castle Bury Camp Castle Ditches Casterley Camp Castle Rings Chisbury Chiselbury Chisenbury Camp Clearbury Ring Cley Hill Fosbury Camp Grovely Castle Knook Castle Liddington Castle Membury Camp Old Sarum Ringsbury Camp Scratchbury Camp Sidbury Hill Vespasian's Camp Yarnbury Castle
Worcestershire	Berrow Hill Camp Berry Mound Bredon Hill British Camp Conderton Camp Drakelow Gadbury Bank Hanbury Hill Headless Cross Midsummer Hill Woodbury Hill Wychbury Ring

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Castle Ditches

Location[]

See also[]

References[]