📷 Photo by Brian Robert Marshall · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
This hilltop location commands sweeping views across the Wiltshire landscape and is home to the substantial earthwork remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle.
You can walk around the ramparts, following the contours of what was once a strategically important defensive stronghold, and get a real sense of how dominating this position would have been for medieval lords surveying the land below.
What makes this place particularly interesting is the layering of history. Before the Normans arrived, an Iron Age hillfort occupied the same commanding height, suggesting people recognised its value for centuries. Though no stone fortifications survive today, the earthworks are impressively preserved and tell you plenty about the castle's former significance.
A walk around the site is genuinely rewarding, especially on a clear day when the panoramas stretch right across the countryside. It's a peaceful spot where you can wander at your own pace, taking in both the views and the sense of all the activity that happened here over the ages.
You'll find the castle near the village of Broad Town. If you want refreshments or to explore a local settlement, Royal Wootton Bassett is just a short drive away with its shops and pubs. For more substantial amenities and transport connections, Swindon is also easily reached.
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