Castles · South East England
Alfred's Castle
In or near Bishopstone.
Alfred's Castle is a small Iron Age hill fort, situated at grid reference SU277822, behind Ashdown Park in the civil parish of Ashbury in Oxfordshire (formerly Berkshire). It lies 2–3 km south of the
Des Blenkinsopp — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Richard Jefferies Halt · 9.8 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Alfred's Castle, the nearest railway station is Richard Jefferies Halt, located 9.8 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is RG17 8RE. Accessibility is limited for wheelchair users.
About
Alfred's Castle is a small Iron Age hill fort, situated at grid reference SU277822, behind Ashdown Park in the civil parish of Ashbury in Oxfordshire (formerly Berkshire). It lies 2–3 km south of the Ridgeway and is protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It has a large enclosure attached that shows as a cropmark. Excavation has shown this to be contemporary with the small enclosure, started in the 6th century BC. The hill fort was established within a series of late Bronze Age linear ditches and revealed much evidence for occupation within it. In the late 1st century, a Romano-British farmhouse was built within the abandoned prehistoric enclosure. King Alfred won a great victory against the Danes at the Battle of Ashdown, in AD 871. Being located just to the west of Ashdown House, Victorian antiquaries associated Alfred's Castle with the King's troop movements before the battle. The exact site of Alfred's battle has not yet been determined, however, so is a matter for debate. The most likely sites are near Compton and Aldworth in Berkshire. Excavations were carried out at Alfred's Castle from 1998 to 2000 by archaeologists from Oxford University. A final analysis was published in 2014.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cotswolds
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: North Wessex Downs
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Alfred's Castle is a small Iron Age hill fort, situated at grid reference SU277822, behind Ashdown Park in the civil parish of Ashbury in Oxfordshire (formerly Berkshire). It lies 2–3 km south of the Ridgeway and is protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It has a large enclosure attached that shows as a cropmark. Excavation has shown this to be contemporary with the small enclosure, started in the 6th century BC. The hill fort was established within a series of late Bronze Age linear ditches and revealed much evidence for occupation within it. In the late 1st century, a Romano-British farmhouse was built within the abandoned prehistoric enclosure. King Alfred won a great victory against the Danes at the Battle of Ashdown, in AD 871. Being located just to the west of Ashdown House, Victorian antiquaries associated Alfred's Castle with the King's troop movements before the battle. The exact site of Alfred's battle has not yet been determined, however, so is a matter for debate. The most likely sites are near Compton and Aldworth in Berkshire. Excavations were carried out at Alfred's Castle from 1998 to 2000 by archaeologists from Oxford University. A final analysis was published in 2014.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
- Coordinates
- 51.5380, -1.6020
- County
- Oxfordshire
- District
- Vale of White Horse
- Parish
- Ashbury
- Postcode
- RG17 8RE
- Parliamentary constituency
- Witney
- Nearest railway station
- Richard Jefferies Halt — 9.8 km
- Official site
- www.cropcircleconnector.com
Sources
- wikipedia: Alfred's Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Alfred's Castle
Archaeological sites · 0.1 km
Ashdown House
Historic houses · 0.4 km
Weathercock Hill
Mountains & hills · 1.2 km
Hinton Downs
Mountains & hills · 2.3 km
Bailey Hill
Mountains & hills · 2.7 km
Idstone
Villages · 2.9 km
Lammy Down
Mountains & hills · 3.0 km
Ashbury, Oxfordshire
Museums · 3.1 km
Ashbury War Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 3.1 km
Wayland's Smithy
Hill forts · 3.2 km
The Manor House
Historic houses · 3.3 km
Bishopstone
Towns & cities · 3.4 km
Nearby
📷 5Archaeological sites · South East England
Alfred's Castle
Alfred's Castle — archaeological in england south east.
Flagship📷 5Historic houses · South East England
Ashdown House
Ashdown House — a Grade I-listed historic house in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Mountains & hills · South East England
Weathercock Hill
Weathercock Hill — mountain in england south east. Elevation: 220 m.
📷 5Mountains & hills · South East England
Hinton Downs
Hinton Downs — mountain in england south east. Elevation: 246 m.
📷 5Mountains & hills · South East England
Bailey Hill
Bailey Hill — mountain in england south east. Elevation: 241 m.
📷 5Where to eat & stay near Alfred's Castle
Places to stay
📷 5Campsites · South East England
Farncombe Farm Campsite
Farncombe Farm Campsite — a campsite in england south east.
📷 5Campsites · South East England
Oxford Oak Camping
Oxford Oak Camping — a campsite in england west midlands.
📷 5
📷 5Hotels · South East England
Delta Hotels by Marriott
Delta Hotels by Marriott — a hotel in england south east. 4-star. Brand: Delta Hotels.
📷 5
📷 5Caravan parks · South East England
Woodhill Lane Caravan Park
Woodhill Lane Caravan Park — a caravan park in england south east.
Places to eat & drink
📷 7Cafés · South East England
Goodies Café, Lambourn
Goodies Café, Lambourn — a café in england south east.
📷 5Historic pubs · South West England
Mason Arms Public House West Street House
Mason Arms Public House West Street House in England South West, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · South West England
Pig On The Hill Public House
Pig On The Hill Public House in England South West, United Kingdom.
📷 7Historic pubs · South East England
The Radnor Arms Public House
The Radnor Arms Public House in England South West, United Kingdom.
📷 5Restaurants · South East England
Kebria Tandoori
Kebria Tandoori — a restaurant in england west midlands.
📷 5Historic pubs · South East England
The Pound Public House
The Pound Public House in England South East, United Kingdom.
More castles in this region
📷 5
📷 5Castles · South East England
Allington Castle
Allington Castle — stone-built moated castle in Allington, England.
📷 5Castles · South East England
Betchworth Castle
Betchworth Castle — castle in Brockham, Mole Valley, Surrey, England, UK.
📷 5Castles · South East England
Bletchingley Castle
Bletchingley Castle — castle in Surrey, England, UK.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Alfred's Castle?
- Alfred's Castle is in Oxfordshire, South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode RG17 8RE), in the parish of Ashbury.
- What is Alfred's Castle?
- Alfred's Castle is a small Iron Age hill fort, situated at grid reference SU277822, behind Ashdown Park in the civil parish of Ashbury in Oxfordshire (formerly Berkshire). It lies 2–3 km south of the
- How do I get to Alfred's Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Richard Jefferies Halt, about 9.8 km away. Drivers can use postcode RG17 8RE.
- Who owns Alfred's Castle?
- Alfred's Castle is owned by | designation1 = Scheduled monument.
- Is Alfred's Castle a protected site?
- Yes — Alfred's Castle is part of the Cotswolds National Landscape (AONB) and the North Wessex Downs National Landscape (AONB).
- Does Alfred's Castle charge admission?
- Alfred's Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Alfred's Castle?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode RG17 8RE. It sits within the Witney parliamentary constituency.