Over 100 people attended two key events organised by the Archaeology Service as part of the annual Festival of British Archaeology fortnight.

Barbury Castle Iron Age hillfort
The first, on 31^st July, centred on Barbury Castle Iron Age hillfort near Wroughton, followed by a guided 5km walk along the historic Ridgeway to the white horse hill figure on Hackpen Hill.


Hackpen Hill.

The chalk and downland landscape in this part of Wiltshire boasts a rich mix of prehistoric and medieval archaeology and provided plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion from the 30-strong group, as well as endless photo opportunities. Informative and enjoyable, this walk through time, from the Neolithic to Queen Victoria, showed how nature and heritage combine to give Wiltshire its very special environment.


Littlecote Roman villa

The following day, some 70 people joined a guided tour of Littlecote Roman villa near Hungerford. A guided talk focussed on the famous “Orpheus” mosaic, influenced by the Eastern Roman Empire, as well as fine examples of Roman villa architecture, resulting in plenty of “oohs” and “aahs” at this very photogenic private site. The group included a broad range of ages and backgrounds, united by their appreciation of the very special archaeological features on display, all brought to life through this event. The site was fully excavated between 1978-1991, with publication of the results due out soon. To find out more, please 'read more'...

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The Festival of British Archaeology is a nationwide, annual event that aims to promote archaeology. It has been running for twenty years, and has evolved from a single day to two whole weeks. As in previous years the Wiltshire Archaeology Service are actively involved and this year we will be doing not one but two exciting days out. Both events are free!

Aerial view of Barbury Castle

The first event is an exciting guided walk around Barbury Castle followed by a walk down the Ridgeway (approximately 2.6 km) to see some of the amazing prehistoric features of the Marlborough Downs. Barbury Castle is an impressive Iron Age Hillfort with enormous ramparts that overlooks Wroughton, Swindon and the surrounding countryside. David Vaughan, Assistant County Archaeologist will be leading this walk at 2pm on Saturday 31^st July. To book your place or to find out more information see the contact details below via 'read more'.

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