Casterley Camp

Casterley Camp stands on a low hill about two and a half kilometres south-west of Upavon in Wiltshire. It is an Iron Age hillfort with a single rampart and ditch enclosing roughly nine hectares. The enclosure may not have been built for defence but for managing livestock or holding gatherings. Traces of an Iron Age trackway run along the western edge, lined by low earth banks. Part of the site was examined in the 19th century, revealing layers from both Iron Age and Romano-British times. Archaeologists recognise three linked enclosures within the main camp, each possibly used for different purposes. One enclosure may have controlled herds, another could have served religious rites, and the third might have been a meeting place. A smaller Iron Age fort, Chisenbury Camp, lies across the River Avon valley about four kilometres to the east. The whole area became part of military training land in 1898. Public footpaths and bridleways approach the hill from the north and west. Visitors walk along grassy tracks that skirt the ramparts and follow the old trackway. The views stretch across Salisbury Plain, where military exercises take place. The site is quiet except when firing ranges are in use. Walkers can also see the distant outline of Chisenbury Camp across the valley.