Weatherby Castle

Also known as:
Castle Rings
Nearest town:
Bere Regis (4km E)
OS reference:
SY806962
OS sheet:
194
Latitude:
50° 45' 52.06 N
Longitude:
2° 16' 30.39 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Weatherby Castle (Hillfort) by juamei

Image Credit: Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2015.

Image credit: Open Source Environment Agency LIDAR
juamei
juamei Mar 25, 2018
Image of Weatherby Castle (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Somewhat, er, overgrown. Nevertheless a fine hill fort with massive ramparts and ooodles of vibe

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Apr 23, 2015
Image of Weatherby Castle (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

The ‘ritual’ function of Iron Age earthworks is down played by some... but when Nature takes over once again, they can simply take your breath away through much more subtle means than sheer brute force.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 12, 2011
Image of Weatherby Castle (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Some of the most powerful outer defences I’ve ever seen... the inner are simply awesome.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 12, 2011
Image of Weatherby Castle (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Outer rampart on a perfect summer’s late afternoon.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 12, 2011
Image of Weatherby Castle (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Inner rampart.... the vibe is completely different under foliage.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 12, 2011
Image of Weatherby Castle (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

The – frankly awesome – inner rampart.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 12, 2011
Image of Weatherby Castle (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

The powerful outer rampart...... the inner rampart is tree-clad, to right.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 12, 2011
Image of Weatherby Castle (Hillfort) by formicaant

The eastern inner bank and ditch and outer bank.

Image credit: Mike Rowland 15/03/10
formicaant
formicaant Mar 17, 2010
Image of Weatherby Castle (Hillfort) by formicaant

This is a large 18th century folly in the north part of the fort interior.

Image credit: Mike Rowland 15/03/10
formicaant
formicaant Mar 17, 2010
Image of Weatherby Castle (Hillfort) by formicaant

Weatherby castle from Double barrow looking north.

Image credit: Mike Rowland 02/10/2007.
formicaant
formicaant Nov 2, 2007
Image of Weatherby Castle (Hillfort) by formicaant

The outer western rampart from the top of the inner bank.

Image credit: Mike Rowland 14/03/2007.
formicaant
formicaant Mar 23, 2007

Articles

Miscellaneous

Weatherby Castle
Hillfort
Rhiannon
Rhiannon Nov 5, 2007

The fort was – is? known by another name:

We remember passing a day pleasantly enough in tracing one of the last-mentioned relics of olden time, midway between Blandford and Dorchester, which the people to this day call Castle Rings. Our stay would not allow us much research; but we finished our excursion by starting from Milborne, on foot, across the fine expanse of Dorset, the bold ridges of Southampton, where the artificial luxury of a stage-coach put an end to all our enjoyment of romantic nature.

p203 of ‘The Mirror of Literature Amusement’ by John Limbird (1830).

Miscellaneous

Weatherby Castle
Hillfort
formicaant
formicaant Mar 14, 2007

This medium sized Durotrigian hillfort just looks like a large copse even from a few feet away.However once inside the entrance, it is a sophisticated multiple ditch and banked enclosure.It has a high a c.30ft. bank all the way around its centre, on its western edge there is a c.60ft. terrace with a low earth bank which drops steeply into the valley below.The folly is a magnficent piece of 18th. c. pointlessness,but as this fort is so heavily wooded it’s impact is limited.

Miscellaneous

Weatherby Castle
Hillfort
phil
phil Dec 22, 2002

Weatherby Castle as it is called locally, has an obelisk at its summit ( 101m above sea level ), It is very well hidden, on top of a hill near Milbourne St Andrew. The area was originally a hill fort as can be seen by the ditches that still surround the summit.

Slightly more info and a picture of the obelisk can be seen at....
follytowers.com/weatherby.html

Sites within 20km of Weatherby Castle

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