United Kingdom

Yarnbury Castle

Iron Age multivallate hillfort, Wiltshire, UK

Location

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Historical Context

About

Yarnbury Castle is the site of a multiphase, multivallate Iron Age hillfort near the village of Steeple Langford, Wiltshire, England. The site covers an area of 28.5 acres (11.5 ha), and was extensively surveyed and investigated by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England in 1991, with finds of Iron Age and Romano-British pottery, Iron Age and Roman coins, and burials of human remains. There is much evidence of prolonged and extensive settlement of the site, including evidence of around 130 structures of various sizes, most probably representing a mix of round houses, pits, and other features. It was designated as a scheduled monument in 1925. The earthworks of Yarnbury Castle are also a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) first notified in 1951. The site is on private land and has no public access.

Paleolithic
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Period
Post-Classical Period
Early Modern Period
Industrial Period
Contemporary Period
Temporal Epochs

Historical Timeline

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Main earthworks construction

c. 100 BC

Samian pottery date

c. 160 AD

Inner circuit construction (earlier phase)

c. 300 BC

Sheep fair period begins

18th century

Sir Richard Colt Hoare sketch

1810

Sheep fair ended / army commandeered

1916

Scheduled monument designation

1925

SSSI notification

1951

Royal Commission survey

1991

Classification

Archaeological Features

Unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site

category

Defensive Structures

RampartsDitchesDefensive Walls
category

Animal Husbandry Features

Animal Pens
category

Burial and Funerary Structures

GravesInhumations
category

Industrial and Craft Structures

Workshops
category

Domestic and Habitation Structures

HousesPit Houses
category

Environmental and Natural Features

Landscaped EarthworksArtificial Mounds
Knowledge Base

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Reference

Details

Country

United Kingdom

Coordinates

51.16° N, -1.95° E