Castle Combe

A Roman villa once stood about from the village, indicating Roman occupation of the area. The site has been excavated on at least three occasions, the first by George Poulett Scrope in 1852 and the most recent in 2010. Some reports refer to the site as the North Wraxall or the Truckle Hill villa. Evidence of a bath house and corn drying ovens were found, the latter from the 4th century. The villa itself apparently contained 16 rooms, and there were additional buildings and a cemetery. Neolithic flint tools and Iron Age brooches were also discovered not far from the villa, in 1985. The settlement was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086, with 33 households; the Lord was Humphrey de l'Isle.…

The village was a location for the 1967 film musical Doctor Dolittle. Its frequently rainy summer climate frustrated production, as did attempted sabotage - including by British Army officer (and future explorer) Sir Ranulph Fiennes - because of residents' irritation at the producers' modifications of the area for shooting. Other productions include "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd", an episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot, and the films Stardust and The Wolfman. Throughout September 2010, the village was a filming location for Steven Spielberg's production of War Horse. Raymond Austin set the action of his book Find me a Spy, Catch me a Traitor in the village and at the Manor. The house of…