Wadbury Camp facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wadbury Camp |
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| Mells, Mendip district, Somerset in England | |
1836 diagram of Newbury Camp (north), Wadbury Camp (west), Tedbury Camp (east)
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 Wadbury Camp
Location in Somerset
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| Coordinates | 51°14′22″N 2°22′38″W / 51.239561°N 2.377346°W |
| Type | Promontory fort |
| Site information | |
| Condition | Overgrown |
| Site history | |
| Materials | Earth |
Wadbury Camp is an ancient fort in Somerset, England. It was built a very long time ago, before the Romans came, to protect the areas where people mined for valuable materials in the Mendip Hills. It seems like Wadbury Camp was a smaller fort that helped protect the bigger Tedbury Camp nearby.
Where is Wadbury Camp?
Wadbury Camp sits on a high ridge. This ridge is north of a deep valley called the Wadbury Valley. The Mells Stream flows through this valley.
The camp is south of Newbury Camp. It is also west of Tedbury Camp, which is on the other side of the river. Newbury Camp was about one mile north of Wadbury. It was probably used as a lookout point. From there, people could see the whole area around them.
Tedbury Camp was much larger, covering about 60 acres. This means it must have been a very important stronghold. Wadbury Camp was across the Mells Stream from Tedbury. It was likely an outpost, a smaller fort protecting the main one.
What Wadbury Camp Looks Like
Wadbury Camp is a type of hillfort. It is shaped like a long oval. It has one main wall, called a rampart. There is also an outer ditch and a bank on the outside of the ditch. This setup is on all sides except the west. On the west, a very steep ravine protects the camp.
The main wall would have been about 16 feet high. The ditch had stones lining its bottom. The sides of the ridge are steep to the north. They are very steep, almost like a cliff, to the south and west. The easiest way to get to the camp was from the east, where the ground is flat.
There is still a steep slope on the north side. Below it is a stony bank. On the eastern side, there are strong double walls. There are also signs of another wall. However, this part was mostly destroyed when fancy gardens were built.
There might have been an entrance in the northwest. But a farm track has partly ruined the outer wall in this area. The fort covers about 30 hectares in total.
History of Wadbury Camp
Wadbury Camp was built a very long time ago. It dates back to between 800 BC and 43 AD. This means it was used before the Roman Empire took over Britain.
Wadbury, Tedbury, and Newbury camps worked together. They guarded the Avon and Frome rivers. They also protected the roads leading to the mining area of the Mendip Hills. This mining district had an important center called Camalodunum.
Today, a house called Wadbury House stands inside the old fort. There is a modern bank running through the middle of the fort. Another low bank is to the northwest of the house.
Wadbury Camp is now a protected historical site. The old walls still exist, but they are only about 3 meters high. In some places, parts of the walls have been destroyed by quarries or buildings.
