Ringsbury Camp
Encyclopedia
Ringsbury Camp is an Iron Age
hill fort
, thought to date from approximately the year 50BC. It is located in the civil parish
of Purton
in Wiltshire
.
rubble 1. These are not local rocks, thus suggesting building material was transported to the camp from further afield. The stones from the banks are very light, and are known as 'blood stones'. A reason for the lightness of the rocks was apparently due to blood soaking into the stones when they were used as missiles during battles; however, nowadays chemical weathering
- carbonation
- of the limestone is thought to account for their light mass.
, such as Barbury Castle
, maybe suggesting Ringsbury was an 'outpost'. There are signs of earlier habitation of the site: Neolithic
flint tools have been found in the area.
. The site has a grid reference
of SU 075 867. One Iron Age
coin was discovered at the camp, and is currently displayed in Purton Museum. Some local people refer to Ringsbury as 'The Roman
Camp', although this does not reflect its earlier Iron Age
heritage. Today Ringsbury is in grassland pasture, with the southern and western banks wooded. The centre of the camp, at one time, was ploughed 1, which may have destroyed any further artefact
s waiting to be unearthed. Ringsbury Camp is part of Restrop Farm
, a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest
.
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
, thought to date from approximately the year 50BC. It is located in the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Purton
Purton
Purton is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire. The civil parish includes the village of Purton Stoke and the hamlets of Bentham, Hayes Knoll, Restrop and Widham....
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
Structure
Ringsbury is a multivallate fort as it is has a double-banked structure. In all about 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) are enclosed by the surrounding walls. The fort sits at the brow of a hill with excellent views of the surrounding areas, particularly to the south, west and north. There is less of an incline towards the east. It is believed that to ensure visibility was not impeded the builders cleared all areas, but certainly the land towards the west, from trees. The banks are made from limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
rubble 1. These are not local rocks, thus suggesting building material was transported to the camp from further afield. The stones from the banks are very light, and are known as 'blood stones'. A reason for the lightness of the rocks was apparently due to blood soaking into the stones when they were used as missiles during battles; however, nowadays chemical weathering
Weathering
Weathering is the breaking down of rocks, soils and minerals as well as artificial materials through contact with the Earth's atmosphere, biota and waters...
- carbonation
Carbonatation
Carbonatation is a chemical reaction in which calcium hydroxide reacts with carbon dioxide and forms insoluble calcium carbonate:The process of forming a carbonate is sometimes referred to as "carbonation", although this term usually refers to the process of dissolving carbon dioxide in...
- of the limestone is thought to account for their light mass.
History
Historians have suggested that the fort may not have been used continually, but as an enclosure in times of unrest. Unrest was common in these times: the fort is situated on the boundary of two old British kingdoms; and there were two major Celtic invasions in the years around which the fort was constructed. The fort is also not part of the larger chain of hill forts along the RidgewayThe Ridgeway
thumb|right|thumb|The ancient tree-lined path winds over the downs countrysideThe Ridgeway is a ridgeway or ancient trackway described as Britain's oldest road...
, such as Barbury Castle
Barbury Castle
Barbury Castle is an Iron Age hill fort situated in Wiltshire, England. It is one of several such forts found along the ancient Ridgeway route. The site, which lies within the Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, has been managed as a country park by Swindon Borough Council since 1971...
, maybe suggesting Ringsbury was an 'outpost'. There are signs of earlier habitation of the site: Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
flint tools have been found in the area.
Today
Several rights of way make the fort accessible. Ringsbury Camp can be reached most easily by walking west through fields from Battlewell and Restrop Road in PurtonPurton
Purton is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire. The civil parish includes the village of Purton Stoke and the hamlets of Bentham, Hayes Knoll, Restrop and Widham....
. The site has a grid reference
Grid reference
Grid references define locations on maps using Cartesian coordinates. Grid lines on maps define the coordinate system, and are numbered to provide a unique reference to features....
of SU 075 867. One Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
coin was discovered at the camp, and is currently displayed in Purton Museum. Some local people refer to Ringsbury as 'The Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
Camp', although this does not reflect its earlier Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
heritage. Today Ringsbury is in grassland pasture, with the southern and western banks wooded. The centre of the camp, at one time, was ploughed 1, which may have destroyed any further artefact
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
s waiting to be unearthed. Ringsbury Camp is part of Restrop Farm
Restrop Farm and Brockhurst Wood
Restrop Farm and Brockhurst Wood is a 56.5 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, notified in 1992. The site contains the Iron Age hill fort of Ringsbury Camp.-Source:* -External links:...
, a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
.