Desborough Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Desborough Castle |
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| Buckinghamshire, England | |
Desborough Castle (centre), seen from the air
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 Desborough Castle
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| Coordinates | 51°37′56″N 0°46′39″W / 51.6321°N 0.7776°W |
| Type | Hill fort and ringwork castle |
| Site information | |
| Condition | Earthworks remain |
Desborough Castle is a very old fort built on a hill. It dates back to the Iron Age, a time long before modern history. This historic site is located in Buckinghamshire, England. It sits on the southern side of the River Wye valley, which flows through the beautiful Chiltern Hills.
What is Desborough Castle?
Desborough Castle is more than just an Iron Age hill fort. It also includes a Norman ringwork. A ringwork is a type of early castle where a circular bank of earth and a ditch formed the main defenses.
This ringwork was built partly on top of an older mound. This mound might have been an ancient burial place, called a barrow. Later, it may have been used as a Saxon moot, which was a meeting place for people during the Saxon period. All these features are found within a square area. This square area might have been a settlement or a place to keep animals during the Iron Age or even the Late Bronze Age.
Location and History
The valley where Desborough Castle is located has always been an important route for travel and communication. People have used a trackway through this valley since the Bronze Age.
Today, the fort is part of a grassy, landscaped area. It sits just below the Castlefield housing estate and offers views over the town of High Wycombe. It's a cool spot to imagine what life was like thousands of years ago!
Protecting Desborough Castle
Because Desborough Castle is so important for understanding history, it was officially listed as a scheduled monument in 1933. This means it's a protected archaeological site.
However, the site faces some challenges. Sometimes, people cause damage or leave rubbish there. In 2020, Historic England, an organization that protects historic places, added Desborough Castle to its Heritage at Risk Register. This means the site needs special attention to keep it safe and preserved for the future.
