Oliver's Castle - an iron age hill fort

   

Devizes is set on a high plateau amongst the Wessex Downs. To the north of Devizes lies Oliver's Castle and Roundway Hill which forms part of the North Wessesx Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 

 

The 198 metre high hillfort  has a distinctive profile seen from the west and south. It has five prominent trees set on its high brow and one can see why iron age people used it as a fort. It is a wonderful place to stroll through high chalk grasslands and to picnic or fly kites.  From the car park a short circular walk of about a mile, takes in chalk downland - rich in wildflowers in summer - views over Bromham and and Morgan's Hill.The map in the Roundway Down article shows the location and access to  Oliver's Castle.

 

Photogallery.  

 

 

 Above is a view of Oliver's Castle - 198 m high - from near Bromham. Parish..

Oliver's Castle - history and archaeology

 

The Iron Age hillfort is listed in the Wiltshire Sites and Monument Record (SMR) as Oliver's castle - see below.  It has no known association with Oliver Cromwell who bombarded and took Devizes back for the Parliamentary army in 1645. It did play a role in the battle of Roundway.

 

On the 1773 Andrew's and Drury map Olivers's castle is shown as Roundway Castle. Dennis Powney of the Bromham Local History Group has pointed out to Devizes Heritage that the hillfort is in Bromham Parish and that an early 19th century tithe map shows it as Bromham Castle.. It has also been called Oliver's Camp. Perhaps a better name for this outstanding natural landmark would be Bromham Hillfort? Do contact us with your thoughts.

 

Below is view from Bromham of Oliver's castle and Roundway covert taken just before  a very yellow sunset

 

Oliver's Castle played a  role in a major Civil War Batle of Roundway Down in which the Royalists gained their best Cavalry victory. Some of the parliamentary cavalry were fleeing the battle, hotly pursued by the Royalists.Many died, either by a fall down the steep slopes of the gullies either side of Oliver's Castle or directly by the Royalist cavalry. It is reported that many were killed, but the major parliamentary casualties - about 600 - were infantry men killed elsewhere. 

Battle of Roundway Down is reported as a Devizes Heritage page.

 

The archaeology of Oliver's Castle and its surroundings

 

Bronze Age barrows are known on Roundway Down, where W. Cunnington Junior. opened several in the 19th century. This area was further excavated in 1907 by B. Cunnington - he found a Bronze Age settlement  at Oliver's Camp with  pottery of Bronze Age, Iron Age  and  Romano-British dates.

 

Oliver’s Castle is a substantial Iron Age hillfort, although surprisingly few relevant artefacts have been recovered from the various investigations there.   

 

There was a Romano-British Villa at the base of Oliver's Castle during the 2nd and 4th century AD in area around mother Anthony's well.

Wiltshire and Swindon Sites and Monument Record Information

For Oliver's Castle

SMR Number

SU06SW200

Site Name

Olivers Castle

Grid Ref

SU00106468

Parish

Bromham

Photographs

Images for Bromham (if available)

District

Kennet

Site Type

Hillfort

Period

Iron Age

Scheduled Monument

AM027A

Finds

Ceramics; Antler; Animal bone

X Y Grid Ref

400100, 164680

Altitude

198.12 metres

Geology

Lower Chalk

 

Description

Iron Age hillfort, excavated in 1907.

 

Details

A) Univallate hillfort excavated 1907 by B Cunnington. Consists of a bank and ditch with an entrance in East rampart. Pottery of Bronze Age, Iron Age  &  Romano-British date found.

 

B) Promontory fort roughly triangular with natural slopes on NW and S sides.

Sources

1) AER/C/434 County Archaeology Service, Trowbridge, Wiltshire

2)  Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine Vol 35, p408-40

3) Field Work OS 1968 1968 Ordnance Survey

4) Devizes Museum Catalogue 2 100 Nos E1-e 14 1911 Cunnington, M E; Goddard, E H

5) Devizes Museum Catolgue 3 147-9 No E1 1934 Cunnington, M E; Goddard, E H