Hardwell Castle
| Hardwell Castle | |
|---|---|
| Hardwell Camp | |
| Type | Hillfort |
| Location | Compton Beauchamp, Oxfordshire |
| Coordinates | 51°34′42″N 1°35′14″W / 51.57844°N 1.58723°W |
| Official name | Hardwell Camp promontory fort |
| Designated | 18 August 1958 |
| Reference no. | 1017820[1] |
Location of Hardwell Castle in Oxfordshire | |
Hardwell Castle or Hardwell Camp is an Iron Age valley fort in the civil parish of Compton Beauchamp in Oxfordshire (previously Berkshire).[2]
Position
Like nearby Cherbury Camp, Hardwell Castle is not clearly in a strategic or easily defended position. It lies halfway down the scarp slope of the White Horse Hills and is tucked away in a curve, invisible from most angles. This particular positioning suggests its builders had a specialist purpose in mind, although exactly what that may have been remains a mystery.
Description
The site is surrounded by a double vallum 140 by 180 feet (40 by 50 m) in dimension.[3] It is 'multi-vallate', like Cherbury Camp.
Status
The site is unexcavated and therefore very little is known about it. It is described as a promontory fort by Historic England, and has been a Scheduled Monument since 1958.[1]
Location
The site is at grid reference SU287867 in the Vale of White Horse, very close to the small settlements of both Compton Beauchamp and Knighton, 2 miles (3.2 km) from Uffington and 1 mile (1.6 km) from the hilltop Uffington Castle.
References
- ^ a b Historic England. "Hardwell Camp promontory fort (1017820)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ^ "Hardwell Camp [Hardwell Castle] Hillfort". The Megalithic Portal. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- ^ A Handbook for Travellers in Berks, Bucks, and Oxfordshire: Including a Particular Description of the University and City of Oxford and the Descent of the Thames to Maidenhead and Windsor. London: J. Murray. 1872. p. 52.