| Summary : The univallate Iron Age hillfort known as Uffington Castle. It is D-shaped, enclosing 3 hectares, with a rampart and ditch, counterscarp bank, and a single western entrance. Limited excavation in 1853-8 and in 1922, indicated that the inner bank appeared to be sarsen faced, and two rows of postholes suggest either a timber palisade or posts were incorporated in the facing. Excavations in 1989-90 identified two phases of rampart construction, the earliest, early Iron Age in date, comprising box rampart with a backing ditch. A blocked entrance was identified in the eastern rampart, and dated to the 8th to 7th centuries BC. It would have had a gatehouse, and the large post pits belonging to this structure were identified. This phase was succeeded, on almost the same alignment and after a period of abandonment, by a dump rampart with a large V-shaped ditch. A parapet wall was also present. Breaches in the ramparts on the northeast and southeast sides appear to be Roman in date. Geophysical surveys of the interior indicated the site was probably not densely occupied or long-lived. Possible posthole structures were located in the southwest corner of the hillfort but remain unexcavated. Other magnetic responses are thought to originate from the remains of post-medieval fairs. Excavations of further interior features (pits, gullies, and postholes) in 1994-5, identified late Bronze Age activity (8th century BC), but in the main the features were of early Iron Age date (7th century BC), with some middle Iron Age activity (4th century BC). Roman features included an oven or corn drier. During the Anglo-Saxon period the hillfort acted as a boundary marker for the Uffington and Woolstone estates. Some more ephemeral features in the interior may have been lost due to medieval and later ploughing, evidenced by ridge and furrow earthworks. It was cultivated as recently as 1956 until the Ministry of Works re-established grassland. The site is in the care of English Heritage. |
More information : [Centred SU 29968633] Uffington Castle [T.I.] HILL
FORT [G.T.]. (1)
Uffington Castle, on White Horse Hill, is a univallate, Iron Age A hill-fort of circa 8 acres, with a counterscarp bank. There is a single entrance facing northwest [on O.S. 6" it faces due west] with the inner-rampart turning outwards to flank the causeway, and apparently then turning back round the ditch-ends to join the counterscarp bank.
Limited excavation by E.Martin-Atkins about 1850 showed that the inner bank appeared to be sarsen faced, and two rows of post-holes discovered suggest either a timber palisade or posts incorporated in the sarsen facing. (2-5)
Uffington Castle is as described with the only original entrance facing west.
Surveyed at 1/2500. (6)
SU 300863: An area of rampart which had been breached was investigated in 1989-90. Documentary evidence shows that the breach, together with one on the SE side was present in the ninth century AD. Roman pottery was recovered from layers above the breach. The rampart was a box rampart with a backing bank. This was succeeded by a dump rampart with a large V-shaped ditch. A parapet wall was also present. An early Iron Age date for the initial construction of the hillfort has been indicated. A geophysical survey of the interior also took place, the results indicated the site was not densely occupied, and probably not long-lived. (7-8)
SU 299 863. Uffington Castle. Listed in gazetteer as a univallate hillfort covering 3.4ha. (9)
Uffington Castle. Description with plan. Woolston Castle mentioned as former alternative name. (10)
Sherd of early Iron Age `A' ware from Uffington Castle presented by Patrick Grary to Ashmolean Museum. (11)
Inward curve of defences at Eastern end, together with heightening of counterscarp bank in this area, suggestive of the presence of a former eastern entrance, later blocked. (12)
Counterscarp bank on West side of main entrance much better developed than that to East of it. No mention of possible eastern entrance. (13)
Excavation and documentary research have shown that breaches in the ramparts on NE and SE sides are at least Roman in date. (14)
Recently surveyed topographically in detail, with geophysical investigation by Ancient Monuments Laboratory, but final results still awaited. (15)
Record card. (16)
The earthwork remains of the Iron Age hill-fort described by the previous authorities was mapped from aerial photographs as part of the Lambourn Downs NMP Project. Within the ramparts of the castle are the faint earthwork remains of cultivation marks of unknown date. (17)
British Archaeology news article. Excavations near the Uffington White Horse, led by Oxford University archaeologists Gary Lock and Chris Gosden, have shown that different hillforts were put to different uses, despite their similar appearance. Uffington Castle was built on a site with ancient sacred associations. Iron Age use of the hillfort was intermittent, but there was a concentrated re-use of the site in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries AD. Coins, pottery, animal bones, and a small oven were found inside the fort; an enclosure with burials was built outside the entrance, and the long barrow was re-used for burial. The impression, according to Dr Lock, is of 'a temple or shrine', where eating, drinking and ceremonial activities took place. (18)
It is D-shaped, enclosing 3 hectares, with a rampart and ditch, counterscarp bank, and a single western entrance. A blocked entrance was identified in the eastern rampart, and dated to the 8th to 7th centuries BC. It would have had a gatehouse, and the large post pits belonging to this structure were identified. This phase was succeeded, on almost the same alignment and after a period of abandonment, by a dump rampart with a large V-shaped ditch.
Possible posthole structures were located in the southwest corner of the hillfort but remain unexcavated. Other magnetic responses are thought to originate from the remains of post-medieval fairs. Excavations of further interior features (pits, gullies, and postholes) in 1994-5, identified late Bronze Age activity (8th century BC), but in the main the features were of early Iron Age date (7th century BC), with some middle Iron Age activity (4th century BC). Roman features included an oven or corn drier. During the Anglo-Saxon period the hillfort acted as a boundary marker for the Uffington and Woolstone estates. Some more ephemeral features in the interior may have been lost due to medieval and later ploughing, evidenced by ridge and furrow earthworks. It was cultivated as recently as 1956 until the Ministry of Works re-established grassland. (19)
A brief history and description. It consists of a large enclosure measuring about 220 metres by 160 metres, surrounded by a chalk-stone bank or inner rampart, about 12 metres in width and 2.5 metres in height. Around this is a grass covered ditch about 3 metres deep, and a further smaller bank forming an outer rampart. (20)
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