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<< Our Photo Pages >> Blackbury Camp - Hillfort in England in Devon

Submitted by AngieLake on Tuesday, 16 July 2024  Page Views: 24992

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Blackbury Camp Alternative Name: Blackbury Castle
Country: England County: Devon Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Seaton  Nearest Village: Southleigh Parish
Map Ref: SY187924
Latitude: 50.725512N  Longitude: 3.153185W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
3

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I have visited· I would like to visit

Bladup would like to visit

Hodur visited on 16th Nov 2018 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 5 A beautiful site that we visited at a perfect time. Misty, very few people. It was a wonderful experience meditating here.

ajmp3003 visited on 1st Jul 2017 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5 Very nice site, pleasantly situated in the woods

graemefield visited on 14th Feb 2012 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 5

ForestDaughter visited on 22nd Sep 2008 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 5

Chrus visited on 1st Jan 0003 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 4

AngieLake have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 4 Ambience: 4.6 Access: 4.8

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : A 3D view of the digital terrain model of Blackbury Camp by Rouven Meidlinger (Vote or comment on this photo)
In Prehistoric Hillforts in Devon, (Devon Books, publisher to Devon County Council) author Aileen Fox describes this ancient oval-shaped hillfort as 'important' and with 'an unusual entrance'. The excavation in 1952-54 by the Devon Archaeological Society showed that the main gate had been an imposing structure (see English Heritage noticeboard photograph lower down our page.)

It is easily accessible and popular with walkers. A car park right next to its eastern (not original) 'gateway' is level with the interior. I visited with our local dowsing group on Summer Solstice 2006. Inside is very cool and peaceful, with a cathedral-like canopy of tall trees. The enclosing banks are still well-defined, and at the southern entrance you are still able to see the unusual layout of defensive banks. The land falls away down the slope of the hill here.

To quote Aileen Fox: "The oval enclosure of about 2 hectares now in open woodland straddles a 180m steep-sided Greensand ridge capped with clay and flints. It was defended by a substantial rampart and ditch, with one entrance facing the southern slopes; other gaps are recent. A triangular earthwork was added screening the gate - the so-called barbican entrance; it contained a central embanked passageway with a compartment on either side, probably used as stock pens.
Excavation showed that the main gate had been an imposing structure. [refers to fig.5] The rounded rampart ends projected forward and were built up with flint nodules, retained by a timber palisade. Deep post-holes indicated the gate, probably with a bridge to link the ramparts. There was a second timber gateway at the entrance to the barbican. In the interior, the post-holes of a rectilinear hut were uncovered with a cooking pit nearby. Iron slag from the local limonite ores, whetstones and spindle whorls were found along with more than 1,200 sling stones. The pottery included decorated Glastonbury ware and some earlier plain Iron Age wares indicating that the fort was in use from the early 3rd century BC onwards."

(If her scale drawing is correct the site is approximately 250m x 125m).

Signposted from A3052 Sidford-Colyford road and from the B3174, according to the book, published in 1996.

Note: Top image: A 3D view of the digital terrain model of Blackbury Camp by Rouven Meidlinger
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Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by ForestDaughter : Looking towards the Barbican, the south-facing defences. (2 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by ForestDaughter : A rather oddly carved old tree near the northern bank. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by MattImpey : If you visit Blackbury Camp at just the right time of year it is covered in a sea of bluebells (earthwork ramparts in the background). (Vote or comment on this photo)

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by MattImpey (Vote or comment on this photo)

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by ForestDaughter : One taken from inside the enclosure towards the setting sun in the west. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by ForestDaughter : Looking into the centre of the enclosure.

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : Blackbury Camp eastern side

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : Outside the south east of the fort

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : The tight south west corner of the fort

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : Looking east over the central area of the fort

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : The south western side looking east towards the original entrance

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : The south of the fort looking west

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : The north east corner of the fort

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : The northern side looking east

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : The northern side looking west

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : Looking over the western part of the fort from it's northern bank, the road is just visible on the right.

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : The northern part of the fort looking east

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : The bank and ditch at the north west of the fort looking east, The road is visible on the left

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : The forts interior

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : The large bank and silted up ditch outside the south west corner of the fort

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : The sign near the original southern entrance to the fort

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : Looking south over the (built later than the fort) barbican entrance to the fort.

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : The east side of the (later than the original fort) barbican

Blackbury Camp
Blackbury Camp submitted by Bladup : Looking west towards the original entrance to the fort (1 comment)

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"Blackbury Camp" | Login/Create an Account | 7 News and Comments
  
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Re: Blackbury Camp by Anonymous on Wednesday, 14 July 2010
from prufeeder on Sunday, 15 July 2007

I visited the site in 1959, Aug. or Sept., nice summer weather, but as we walked up from the car parking spaces, the atmosphere became very dark, dank & miserable. A heavy, thick mist moved down & just covered everything to the point where visibility was hopeless. My wife insisted that we leave immediately. Quite a scary experience. On returning to Seaton the weather was summer-like again. I do intend to return one day, and hope the weather will be more welcoming.
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Blackbury Camp by Anonymous on Saturday, 13 October 2012
    Whenever I visit I feel uncomfortable. I have tried looking online to find any articles regarding 'ghost' history or similar. Today, even my mad puppy dog refused to walk any further and ran very quickly back to the car.
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Blackbury Camp by coldrum on Tuesday, 30 March 2010
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Street View


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Re: Blackbury Camp by MikeGreen on Saturday, 28 July 2007
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Locals call it Blackbury Castle and were somewhat annoyed some years ago when the brown signs went up calling it Blackbury Camp
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Re: Blackbury Camp by coldrum on Tuesday, 19 June 2007
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An Iron Age hillfort with impressive ramparts, now surrounded by woodland.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.239
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