The site was first occupied some 2500 years ago, and was then in use during the Roman occupation of the area. Archaeological investigations at Barbury have shown evidence of a number of buildings, indicating a village or military garrison at this time.
In the 6th century, the site became part of the Saxon kingdom of Wessex, following the defeat of the Romano-British at the Battle of Beranburgh.
Location
Barbury Castle is about five miles south of Swindon and the M4, on the northern edge of the Marlborough Downs within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Other than a couple of nearby farms, there is no current settlement near the site.
By road the site can only approached by a single road ascending the scarp slope of the downs from midway along the B4005 between Wroughton and Chiseldon. More options are available by foot or horseback, including the Ridgeway, which runs west to east along the edge of the downs, and a byway south across the downs to Marlborough.
The BarburyCastle gallops were used by Bob Turnell and Victor Dartnall and are today used by a number of local trainers, including Peter Makin, Jim Old, Jeff King and Con Horgan.
In 1962, the first BarburyCastle racecourse was turned to arable land due to the pressures on agricultural production.
BarburyCastle refers not to bricks and mortar but to the set of ancient earthworks comprising an Iron Age hill fort, covering about 12 acres, adjacent round barrows, Celtic field systems and 18th-19th Century flint workings.
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