<< Our Photo Pages >> Scratchbury Camp - Hillfort in England in Wiltshire

Submitted by vicky on Sunday, 21 July 2002  Page Views: 14189

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Scratchbury Camp
Country: England County: Wiltshire Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Warminster  Nearest Village: Bishopstrow
Map Ref: ST911442  Landranger Map Number: 184
Latitude: 51.196946N  Longitude: 2.128753W
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.
 4 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
 4

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Scratchbury Camp
Scratchbury Camp submitted by Adam Stanford : Scratchbury Camp on an Aerial-Cam flight in 2006. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Hillfort in Wiltshire

It has been suggested that Scratchbury may have been a strategic location for the interception of river-borne transport and trade and that it may too have functioned as a market for the trading of livestock. The Iron Age hillfort first surveyed by Colt Hoare at the beginning of the 19th century contains an enigmatic causewayed enclosure of uncertain date as well as Bronze Age barrows.
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Scratchbury Camp barrows
Scratchbury Camp barrows submitted by JimChampion : Two-photo composite showing the ditched bowl barrow in the southwest corner of Scratchbury Camp (at grid reference ST91024410). The barrow was partially excavated in the 19th century. In the far distance towards the left is the prominent outline of Cley Hill. Battlesbury Hill can be seen to the right of the barrow mound. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Scratchbury Camp barrows
Scratchbury Camp barrows submitted by JimChampion : Two-photo composite showing the ditched bowl barrow in the southwest corner of Scratchbury Camp (at grid reference ST91024410). It is on a southwest-facing slope. The metal prong sticking out of the barrow is a marker to indicate that the barrow should not be dug into - the hillfort is on the edge of the MoD's Salisbury Plain training area. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Scratchbury Camp
Scratchbury Camp submitted by JimChampion : Two-photo composite image of Scratchbury Hill, from Middle Hill to the northwest. The double ramparts are clearly visible, as is the large barrow on the southwestern slope of the hill (to the right of this photo, within the ramparts). (Vote or comment on this photo)

Scratchbury Camp
Scratchbury Camp submitted by JimChampion : In the foreground is a kissing gate which you have to pass through in order to follow the Imber Range footpath up to Scratchbury Camp. The ramparts at the northwest corner can be seen at the top of the hill. The square sign (SCHED 1) is a MoD thing, probably indicating that the land beyond the sign is part of a scheduled ancient monument. The hillfort is on the edge of the army's Salisbury Plain t... (Vote or comment on this photo)

Scratchbury Camp
Scratchbury Camp submitted by JimChampion : Southeast side of Scratchbury Camp, looking northeast along the inner earthen bank. The downs in the distance, beyond the rape field, are part of the MoD's Salisbury Plain training area.

Scratchbury Camp
Scratchbury Camp submitted by JimChampion : Looking southwest along the inner rampart at the southern corner of Scratchbury Camp. The hill starts to slope steeply downwards towards the Wylye Valley here and the earthwork banks turn to the right to follow the contours.

Scratchbury Camp
Scratchbury Camp submitted by JimChampion : Two-photo composite image of the original southeastern entrance (grid reference ST912440) to Scratchbury Camp. It leads out, towards the right, onto a chalk ridge that extends to the southeast. This would have been the easiest approach to the hillfort.

Scratchbury Camp
Scratchbury Camp submitted by JimChampion : Two-photo composite image of Scratchbury Hill, from Middle Hill to the northwest. The white scar is an erosion feature above a kissing gate on the side of the hill - it reveals the underlying chalk.

Scratchbury Camp
Scratchbury Camp submitted by JimChampion : There is a (probably original) entrance to Scratchbury Camp on the northwest side. It passes obliquely through the inner rampart, as seen here, with the anticlockwise end passing inside the clockwise end.

Scratchbury Camp barrows
Scratchbury Camp barrows submitted by JimChampion : Look closely and you may be able to make out two very slight bowl barrows in this photograph. They are at grid reference ST914444, just inside the inner rampart on the northeast edge of Scratchbury Camp. Both were partially excavated in the 19th century, and a cremation and bone objects were found in the larger of the two barrows. In the distance on the right is Middle Hill, with its strip lynchet...

Scratchbury Camp
Scratchbury Camp submitted by JimChampion : There is a rectangular enclosure in the southwestern corner of Scratchbury Camp. Three of its sides are defined by the inner rampart of the hillfort, the fourth by the bank shown in this photo (stretching into the distance).

Scratchbury Camp
Scratchbury Camp submitted by JimChampion : Earthworks at the northwest corner of Scratchbury Camp. The eroded path up the inner bank shows the quickest way to the hillfort interior from the footpath (it may even be the footpath - its not so clear on the 1:25000 OS map). At the top is a metal pole, perhaps once part of a fence around the inner bank?

Scratchbury Camp
Scratchbury Camp submitted by JimChampion : A view north along the western side of Scratchbury Camp, where the ramparts and ditches roughly follow the contours of the hill. On the horizon, on the extreme left, you can see the earthworks at the east corner of Battlesbury Camp.

Scratchbury Camp
Scratchbury Camp submitted by JimChampion : Earthwork defences on the eastern flank of Scratchbury Hill. This side of the hill is very steep, and was reinforced by a pair of banks and ditches. The large round barrow on the hill can be seen on the skyline.

Scratchbury Camp
Scratchbury Camp submitted by JimChampion : A view to the southeast from the southeastern rampart of Scratchbury Camp. The Wylye valley is on the right and a spur of Cotley Hill on the left. The star on a stick is a marker indicating that the ground below is a scheduled ancient monument, and should not be dug into by the military. The camp is on the western edge of Salisbury Plain.

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 761m NNW 337° Middle Hill* Round Barrow(s) (ST908449)
 1.3km E 94° West Hill long barrow Long Barrow (ST924441)
 1.4km WNW 282° King Barrow (Warminster) Long Barrow (ST8975044477)
 1.8km NW 313° Battlesbury bowl barrow 3 Round Barrow(s) (ST898454)
 1.8km NW 313° Battlesbury hillfort Barrows Round Barrow(s) (ST898454)
 1.8km NW 314° Battlesbury Bowl Barrow 1 Round Barrow(s) (ST89804545)
 1.8km NW 313° Battlesbury Bowl barrow 2 Round Barrow(s) (ST89774544)
 1.8km W 264° Boreham Mill Barrows Round Barrow(s) (ST89274400)
 1.9km NW 317° Battlesbury Camp* Hillfort (ST898456)
 1.9km NNE 23° Norton Bavant 14 Long Barrow (ST91854596)
 2.3km NE 40° Norton Bavant 13 Long Barrow (ST92594595)
 3.1km NNW 344° Warminster Long Barrow Long Barrow (ST90244717)
 3.3km NNW 348° Oxendean Down barrow Round Barrow(s) (ST904474)
 3.3km NNW 331° Mancombe Down Enclosure Ancient Village or Settlement (ST89494710)
 3.3km NNW 348° Oxendean Down Barrow Round Barrow(s) (ST90404746)
 3.3km NNW 348° Warminster Bowl Barrow Round Barrow(s) (ST90384747)
 3.4km WNW 294° Cop Heap Round Barrow(s) (ST87984558)
 3.4km SW 228° Sutton Common Henge* Henge (ST88544194)
 3.8km NNW 348° Oxendean Bottom Barrow Round Barrow(s) (ST90314788)
 3.9km WSW 241° Robin Hood's Bower Ancient Village or Settlement (ST87684234)
 4.0km NE 50° Boles Barrow* Long Barrow (ST9420346771)
 4.1km WNW 303° Warminster Round Barrow(s) (ST87674647)
 4.2km WNW 299° Arn Hill Barrow Round Barrow(s) (ST87444623)
 4.2km WNW 298° Arn Hill barrow Round Barrow(s) (ST874462)
 4.3km N 349° Warminster Down Tumulus Round Barrow(s) (ST90294841)
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Re: Scratchbury Camp by coldrum on Sunday, 28 March 2010
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Archaeological Walk on Salisbury Plain, Saturday 24th April 2010 by Andy B on Wednesday, 17 February 2010
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Archaeological Walk on Salisbury Plain, Saturday 24th April 2010
Wiltshire Heritage Museum,
Saturday 24th April 2010

Explore the hillforts on Scratchbury and Battlesbury Hills with Roy Canham.

The two hillforts of Scratchbury and Battlesbury lie in close proximity to each other on the edge of the military training area SE of Warminster with magnificent views over the Wylie Valley and Salisbury Plain.

It has been suggested that Scratchbury may have been a strategic location for the interception of river-borne transport and trade and that it may too have functioned as a market for the trading of livestock. The Iron Age hillfort first surveyed by Colt Hoare at the beginning of the 19th century contains an enigmatic causewayed enclosure of uncertain date as well as Bronze Age barrows.

Before his retirement Roy Canham was the County Archaeologist for Wiltshire. He has unrivalled knowledge of the archaeology of the county, and was largely responsible for persuading the MOD to introduce measures to protect the archaeology on their land against damage from military training.

Please Note: the final approach to the site will involve a very steep climb and this walk is definitely only for the fit and active. Please dress sensibly with stout walking boots or shoes and bring waterproof coats as the weather on the high ground of Salisbury Plain can be quite changeable this early in the year.

Depart:
Pewsey (Bouverie Hall car park) – 1.05pm;
Devizes (Station Road car park) – 1.45pm;
Warminster (Library) – 2.15pm
Return:
Leave Scratchbury Hill at about 4.45pm.

Visit http://www.wiltshireheritage.org.uk/events/ to find out more.
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Re: Scratchbury Camp by Anonymous on Saturday, 21 March 2009
Do you know of anyone who is extremely interested in the
Battlt of Roundway 13 Th July 1643. If you do would you be kind enough to put them in touch with me. I havr some very interesting information.

Email [email protected]

Tel. 01380 726561

Many thanks
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Re: Scratchbury Camp by JimChampion on Friday, 11 May 2007
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From The Ancient History of Wiltshire by Sir Richard Colt Hoare (published 1812) Chapter No. 4 - Station 2: Warminster.
We now come to another strongly fortified eminence called SCRATCHBURY, a name derived probably from Crech, or Crechen, signifying a hill, or summit. This fine came differs very materially from Battlesbury in the formation of its ramparts, which consist chiefly of one high vallum and a deep foss; but where the access is easier, there is another slight rampart. It appears to have had three entrances: the principal one to the south-east is approached by a narrow neck of land called Barbury: another entrance lies nearly east, and the third faces Middleton farm and Battlesbury camp. Near the first of these, a broken flint celt, with British and Roman pottery were dug up; and a stone celt, with pottery and animal bones, was found by Mr. Cunnington amongst some loose earth and stones which had been recently excavated. These circumstances prove the very high antiquity of this camp, and bespeak a British origin. Its area exceeds forty acres: the circuit of the outer rampart is one mile eighty-six yards, and the greatest height of it is sixty-six feet.

But this camp is rendered particularly interesting by several tumuli, and another earthen work within its area. This latter inclines to a circular form, and occupies the apex of the hill; but the whole of the area having been formerly in tillage, its shape has been much mutilated. On the north-west side, which is the most perfect, there is some appearance of an entrance; the opposite side has been much defaced by the plough. Within this work is a large circular barrow, No. 1, but not above three feet in elevation. It contained an interment of burned bones, with which were deposited a small lance head of brass, a large amber ring, above fifty beads of the same material, a piece of brass two or three inches long, resembling a screw, and another bit of twisted brass, all of which are preserved in the museum of Miss Benet at Norton-house. Close to the above interment was a pile of ashes intermixed with fragments of burned bones. No. 2 contained within a cist in the chalk, an interment of burned bones, and some articles of bone, two of which were about two inches long, and flat, and the third was either a pin or arrow head, neatly polished to a very sharp point. No. 3 was unproductive, as well as the very small barrow No. 4. No. 5 contained a few burned bones at a considerable distance from the centre. No. 6 was also unproductive. No. 7 is a large barrow nearly one hundred feed in diameter, and twelve feet and a half in elevation, and is a very conspicuous object from the turnpike road below. Much labour and time were employed upon this tumulus, but without success, as the interment was not found. The various fragments of stag’s horns, teeth of wild boar, charcoal, as well as an immense quantity of stones which had undergone the action of fire, seem to indicate this to have been a sepulchral barrow, in which the ceremony of cremation had been performed.

Full text on the Wiltshire County Council website.
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