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Hardwell Castle

Coordinates: 51°34′42″N 1°35′14″W / 51.57844°N 1.58723°W / 51.57844; -1.58723
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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Dave.Dunford (talk | contribs) at 10:56, 13 April 2018 (scheduled monument + refs + hillforts template). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Hardwell Castle or Hardwell Camp is an Iron Age valley fort in the civil parish of Compton Beauchamp in Oxfordshire (previously Berkshire).

Site nature

Like nearby Cherbury Camp, it 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. It is 'multi-vallate', like Cherbury Camp. It is unexcavated and therefore very little is known about it. The site 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 from Uffington and 1 mile from the hilltop Uffington Castle.

References

  1. ^ Historic England. "Hardwell Camp promontory fort (1017820)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 April 2018.

51°34′42″N 1°35′14″W / 51.57844°N 1.58723°W / 51.57844; -1.58723