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Liddington Castle

Wiltshire, England · Atlas EN0388

Liddington Castle is a contour fort in Liddington, Wiltshire, England.

Other names on the record: Badbury Camp.

It is recorded as extant, with a univallate rampart form, surface evidence of earthen bank, stone wall, rubble, and counterscarp bank, and an enclosed area of 3 hectares.

Banks or ramparts are the remains most likely to be visible.

The topographic record places it on a hilltop and a cliff, plateau edge, or scarp and at 277 m.

The aspect is recorded as level.

Recorded land use includes pasture.

Dating evidence is recorded for 800–400 BC, 400 BC–AD 50, and AD 400–800 (Artefactual). Reliability is recorded as B - Medium.

A scheduled monument number is recorded (1016312).

Location

Atlas number
EN0388 (388)
Country
England
Current county or unitary authority
Wiltshire
Historic county
Wiltshire
Parish, community, or townland
Liddington
National Grid reference
SU 2081 7971
Latitude
51.51583
Longitude
-1.70066
Altitude
277 m

Form and condition

Type
contour fort
Condition
Extant
Morphology
univallate
Complete rampart circuit
Yes
Number of ramparts
1
Number of ditches
1
Possible original entrances
2
Breaks through the ramparts
1
Enclosed area
3 ha
Enclosing works, as visible
earthen bank, stone wall, rubble, and counterscarp bank
Enclosing works, excavated
earthen bank, stone wall, palisade, and counterscarp bank
Also recorded
multi-period enclosure system, ditches, and gang working
Entrance forms
Simple Gap (South east); Blocked (South west)

Landscape

Topographic position
hilltop and cliff, plateau edge, or scarp
Aspect
level
Land use
pasture

Dating

Dating
800–400 BC, 400 BC–AD 50, and AD 400–800
Dating evidence
Artefactual
Dating reliability
B - Medium

Interior and investigation

Interior surface
other roundhouse evidence and quarry hollows
Finds
pottery and metal
Investigations
1st Identified Map Depiction (1773); Other (1882); Excavation (1976); Geophysical Survey (1996); Earthwork Survey (2000); Other (2000); Other (2003)

Identifiers

Scheduled monument number
1016312
HER
Wiltshire and Swindon MWI19460
National record
record SU 27 NW 4; monument 225113
Wikidata
Q1823620

Sources

References

  1. Bowden, M. 2000. Liddington Castle: archaeological earthwork survey (version 2). EH survey report no. AI/4/2001.
  2. Bowden M. 2005. The middle Iron Age on the Marlborough Downs, in eds G. Brown, D. Field and D. McOmish, The Avebury landscape, Oxford: Oxbow Books, 156-63.
  3. Brown, I. 2009. Beacons in the landscape. The hillforts of England and Wales, Oxford: Windgather Press/Oxbow Books.
  4. Hirst, S. and Rahtz, P. 1996. Liddington Castle and the Battle of Badon: excavation and research 1976, Archaeol J, 153, 1-59.
  5. Payne, A., Corney, M. and Cunliffe, B. 2006. The Wessex Hillforts Project. Extensive survey of hillfort interiors in Cenral Southern England, London: English Heritage, 111-118.
  6. Pugh, R.B. and Crittall, E. 1957. A history of Wiltshire, 1.1, The Victoria History of the Counties of England, London: OUP, 82, 267.