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Castle Ditches, Tisbury

Wiltshire, England · Atlas EN0426

Castle Ditches, Tisbury is a partial contour fort in Tisbury, Wiltshire, England.

Other names on the record: Spelsbury and Wilburge.

It is recorded as extant, with a partial bivallate and partial multivallate rampart form, surface evidence of earthen bank, berm, and unfinished work, and an enclosed area of 9.7 hectares.

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

The topographic record places it on an inland promontory and at 193 m.

The aspect is recorded as level.

Recorded land use includes woodland and pasture.

Dating evidence is recorded for 800–400 BC and 400 BC–AD 50 (Artefactual and Morphology/Earthwork/Typology). Reliability is recorded as C - Low.

A scheduled monument number is recorded (1005701).

Location

Atlas number
EN0426 (426)
Country
England
Current county or unitary authority
Wiltshire
Historic county
Wiltshire
Parish, community, or townland
Tisbury
National Grid reference
ST96362837
Latitude
51.05463
Longitude
-2.05330
Altitude
193 m

Form and condition

Type
partial contour fort
Condition
Extant
Morphology
partial bivallate and partial multivallate
Complete rampart circuit
Yes
Number of ramparts
3
Ramparts by quadrant
NE 2, SE 3, SW 2, NW 2
Number of ditches
3
Possible original entrances
4
Breaks through the ramparts
5
Enclosed area
9.7 ha
Footprint
17.5 ha
Enclosing works, as visible
earthen bank, berm, and unfinished work
Also recorded
multi-period enclosure system and ditches
Entrance forms
Hornwork (East); Hollow Way (East); Passage-way/Corridor (East); Oblique (West); Hollow Way (West); In-turned (North east); Simple Gap (South)

Landscape

Topographic position
inland promontory
Aspect
level
Land use
woodland and pasture

Dating

Dating
800–400 BC and 400 BC–AD 50
Dating evidence
Artefactual and Morphology/Earthwork/Typology
Dating reliability
C - Low

Interior and investigation

Finds
pottery
Investigations
1st Identified Map Depiction (1887); Excavation (1989); Other (1989); Geophysical Survey (1997); 1st Identified Written Reference (1665-1693)

Identifiers

Scheduled monument number
1005701
HER
Wiltshire and Swindon MWI2691
National record
record ST 92 NE 1; monument 210306
Wikidata
Q31116904

Sources

References

  1. Payne, A., Corney, M. and Cunliffe B. 2006. The Wessex Hillforts Project. Extensive Survey of Hillforts in Central Southern England. English Heritage, 103-7.
  2. Pugh, R.B. and Crittall, E. eds 1957. A history of Wiltshire, 1.1, The Victoria history of the counties of England, Oxford: OUP, 217.