I could see Battlesbury Camp when I walked up Scratchbury Camp a few weeks earlier. Another Iron Age hill fort in the hills above Warminster, the ramparts are clearly visible from above and at ground level. A mere 15 minutes walk from Scratchbury, these separate communities must have interacted but we don't know for sure what drove these ancient people to build these fortified structures all over the UK.
The Camp dates back to the first millenium BC, and there has been extensive archaeological work done at the site. Just like over at Scratchbury, metal stars mark out sites of significance.
The top of the hill is a flat plateau which in the summer months is rife with wild flowers and insects. A walk around the hill is rewarded with fabulous views across Warminster to Cley Hill, to Middle Hill and Scratchbury and across the live firing ranges of Salisbury Plain. In fact, you are right on the edge of the military training range.
On the day I visited, I could clearly hear live gunfire in the surrounding hills, and as you look over Warminster you can see the barracks of the Yorkshire Regiment. A bench overlooking the barracks commemorated the lives of several young men who lost their lives in Afghanistan. A stark reminder that while these hills play host to our armed forces, they are often sent away from the safety of this county to some dangerous places to carry out their mission of defending our nation.
In order to get here, we parked over by the foot of Middle Hill and walked over the top, past the distinctive barrow on the summit which is marked by trees, down to the tank track before ascending again to the summit of Battlesbury Camp. A trig point is on the summit, which stands at 208 metres / 682 feet.
Access Information
The hill can be accessed on foot from the Imber Road side of Warminster, or a longer walk from Middle Hill and Scratchbury will take in more of the wider landscape.
The video shown below traces the walk we took.