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Click here for full size picture of Barbury Castle ramparts BARBURY CASTLE TO OGBOURNE ST. GEORGE
Do not expect Barbury Castle to be a stone built medieval castle, what you see here is an iron age hill fort and dwelling area from the 6th century BC. Double earth ramparts command an excellent view of the surrounding countryside, ideal for defence, but a bleak place in the winter winds. It has a presence of its own though, you can easily image what life was like over two millennia ago. More recently Barbury Castle has become famous for point to point horse racing. Oxford & Wiltshire County Council spent nearly half a million pounds on resurfacing the Ridgeway for four wheel drive recreational use. Although the work was only completed only a few years ago the vehicles have wrecked the repairs already and proved the folly of letting vehicles on public paths, you can see for yourself what a waste of money it has turned out to be! There are pubs in Ogbourne St Andrew & Ogbourne St George if you need supplementary spirit. There is also a small cafe at the farm next to the car park. (GPS length 8.63 miles). How to get there: On the A4361 Swindon to Avebury road at Wroughton (SU 1447 8048) turn off at the Three Tuns pub and take the local road to Barbury Castle. Park in the car park at SU 1555 7613.
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