Rainsborough Camp facts for kids
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 Location in Northamptonshire
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| Location | Near Aynho, Northamptonshire |
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| Coordinates | 52°00′33″N 1°14′06″W / 52.0091°N 1.2350°W |
| Altitude | 145 m (476 ft) |
| Type | Hillfort |
| Area | 2.6 hectares (6.4 acres) |
| History | |
| Periods | Iron Age Roman |
Rainsborough Camp is an ancient hillfort from the Iron Age in South Northamptonshire, England. It is located between the villages of Croughton, Aynho, and Charlton. A hillfort is a type of fort built on a hill, often surrounded by large banks and ditches for protection.
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Exploring Rainsborough Camp
Rainsborough Camp sits on a hill, offering great views to the north-west towards the Cherwell valley. The land to the south-east is flat. The fort is about 145 metres (476 ft) above sea level.
This fort is known as a bivallate fort. This means it has two sets of strong walls, called ramparts, and ditches around it. It is roughly oval-shaped, being longest from north to south. The total area inside the fort is about 2.6 hectares (6.4 acres), which is roughly the size of two and a half football fields.
What the Fort Looks Like
The inside of the fort has been used for farming in the past, so there are no special features left there. The inner rampart, which is like a big earth wall, is about 3 metres (10 ft) taller than the ground inside the fort. This rampart rises about 4 metres (13 ft) above its outer ditch.
The outer rampart is smaller. It is up to 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) high on the south side and about 0.5 metres (1 ft 8 in) on the west and north sides. On the east side, you can no longer see it. There are also small signs of a ditch outside the outer rampart on the west side.
The main way to get into the fort was through a slightly curved opening on the western side. Any other entrances you might see were added much later.
Changes Over Time
In the late 1700s, the site was changed to look more like a park. The inner bank was made even higher, and the inner ditch was dug deeper. A wall made of dry stones was added to the outer slope of the inner bank. You can still see parts of this stone wall today.
Uncovering the Past: Excavations
Archaeologists dug up parts of Rainsborough Camp between 1961 and 1965. They found evidence of different periods when people lived there.
Early Fort Life
Before the fort was even built, people lived in this area around the 6th or 5th centuries BC. The main bivallate fort was constructed in the 5th century BC. The inner rampart had three steps on the back side. The entrance on the west side had stone guardrooms, which were small rooms for guards, behind the curved entrance.
People continued to live in the fort, and they repaired the defenses when needed. This went on until the early 4th century BC. At that time, the fort was attacked and burned. It might have been left empty after that.
Later Use and Abandonment
Later, in the late 2nd century BC, the fort was strengthened again. The ramparts were built in a new way, called a glacis form, which made them slope gently outwards. The entrance was also rebuilt. However, this work was never finished, and the fort was abandoned again.
Even after it was abandoned, there is proof that people were active at the site during the Roman period. This activity happened in the late 1st century AD and again between the 3rd and 4th centuries AD.
