Bussock Camp

Bussock Camp is an Iron Age hillfort near Chieveley in Berkshire. It stands on Phillip’s Hill within a private estate, surrounded by Bussock Wood. The fort has double banks and ditches on its southern and eastern sides, with only a single bank remaining to the north and west. The original entrance lies to the north, opening into an area of about eleven acres. The site sits just above 145 metres above sea level on gently rolling land. Archaeologists believe the hillfort was first used in the sixth century BC. Over centuries it may have housed up to three hundred ancient Britons at times. Nearby are Bussock Hill and Bussock Hill House, set on a separate rise to the south-east. The woods around the fort are known for a fine display of bluebells each May, when the estate opens the paths to visitors. Visitors can walk along a public bridle path that crosses the wood just south of the fort. Several lanes and smaller tracks wind through the wood, though none are public rights of way. The earthworks of the double banks and ditches remain clearly visible, marking the fort’s original boundaries. From the site there are views over the surrounding countryside and towards the nearby hills.