Sidbury Camp

Sidbury Camp stands on a low hill on the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. The hillfort was built in the Iron Age and covers about seven hectares. It sits on ground once occupied by a Neolithic settlement. The site has double ditches and ramparts that make the slopes hard to climb. Excavations in the 19th century and the 1950s found pottery and tools from both periods. Archaeologists discovered flint flakes and tools from the Neolithic period. The hillfort is protected as a scheduled national monument. Trees planted in the 1960s were removed in the early 2000s to restore the natural chalk downland. The land around the hill is used by the Ministry of Defence, so access can be limited. Visitors reach the site by public footpaths and bridleways near the town of Tidworth. The summit rises to 223 metres above sea level. The surrounding area contains old ditches, barrows, trackways and field systems. The views across Salisbury Plain stretch far on clear days. The hillfort’s earthworks still show the strength of its defences.