Bincknoll Castle facts for kids
Bincknoll Castle, Wiltshire
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 Location in Wiltshire
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| Alternative name | Bincknoll Camp |
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| Location | Wiltshire |
| Coordinates | 51°30′46″N 1°50′48″W / 51.5128°N 1.8467°W |
| Area | 23.5 acres |
| History | |
| Periods | Bronze Age, Iron Age |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | good |
| Public access | yes |
Bincknoll Castle, also known as Bincknoll Camp, is an interesting ancient site in Wiltshire, England. It might be an Iron Age hillfort, which is a type of fort built on a hill. Or, it could be a Norman motte and bailey castle.
This site is located on a piece of land that sticks out like a triangle. It's on a steep slope below the Ridgeway, a very old trackway. The sides of the hill are very steep. This made it a great natural defense! The only easy way to get to the site was from the flat land to the south.
Scientists are still trying to figure out if Bincknoll Castle really dates back to the Iron Age. So far, the pottery found there is from Roman times or even later. Soon, archaeologists plan to do some special tests. These tests, called geophysical fieldwork, use equipment to look underground without digging. This will hopefully help them learn more about when the castle was built.
The earthworks you see today look like a Norman motte and bailey castle. This type of castle has a large mound (the motte) and a walled courtyard (the bailey). It was very strong because of its natural location. After the Norman Conquest, a person named Gilbert of Breteuil might have built this castle. He probably wanted to watch over his lands around Broad Hinton.
The motte (the mound) is now a bit damaged from people digging there later on. It's about 52 meters wide and 3 meters high. Its ditch is 2.3 meters deep. There's also an inner area with a bank and ditch that is 3.4 meters high. This separates it from an outer area. You can still see the remains of a path that led into the castle.
You can also spot the old earthworks of a village that used to be outside the castle. This village, called Bincknoll, is now deserted. Its remains can be seen in an area called Bincknoll Dip, which slopes down to the north.
Bincknoll Castle is a scheduled monument. This means it's an important historical site protected by law.
Where is Bincknoll Castle?
The site is found in Wiltshire, England. It's west of the village of Wroughton and north of Broad Hinton. Another old hill fort, Barbury Castle, is about 3.5 miles to the south-east. Bincknoll Castle is on a hill that is 195 meters (about 640 feet) above sea level. You can visit it by following public footpaths.
See also
