Blackbury Castle

DTM- (Digital Terrain Model, i.e. No buildings or foliage) On the west side of Wiscombe Park and hidden in woodland lies the univallate contour hillfort, Blackbury Castle or Camp. Unique southern entrance style with a ‘barbican’ (separate defensive tower). The other ‘entrances’ are modern. First excavation in 1869. Second excavation in 1952. Finds include: Hut site, cooking pit with clay oven base, early to middle Iron Age pottery, iron slag, over 1000 slingstones, four whetstones, two spindle whorls, bronze fragments and worked flints. Possible medieval rectangular building platforms. Just to the northwest at Broad Down lies a substantial Round barrow Cemetery which probably pre-dates the Blackbury Castle site. Some barrows have been part-levelled by ploughing in the past. Eleven Barrows part-excavated in the 1860’s. Finds include: Shale cups and a socketed bronze axe. Iron Age tribal association (conjecture based on location): Dumnonii (Scheduled Monuments) [Any descriptive text is attributed to the Atlas of Hillforts & Wikipedia websites and any associated archaeological descriptions online which will be credited accordingly.]