www.wiltshire.gov.uk
Bratton Camp Open Space
This grassland open space is a popular location for the local community and visitors from further afield. The site provides a valuable recreational area and car parking adjacent to the two important Scheduled Ancient Monuments of Bratton Camp Iron Age Hill Fort and the Westbury White Horse.
The Westbury White Horse is the oldest hill figure in the county and perhaps the most prominent. Cut into the side of Westbury Hill on the edge of the Bratton Downs its location provides panoramic views over Wiltshire and Somerset. The current horse dates back to 1778 but there has been a white horse at Westbury as far back as AD 878 when the Saxons carved the first horse to commemorate Alfred’s defeat of the Danes at Ethandun. More recently in the 1950s and repeated again in 1995 the White Horse has been concreted and painted in an attempt to reduce its maintenance costs.
Bratton Camp is located within close proximity to the White Horse and is one of a series of fortified encampments on the edge of Salisbury Plain dating back over 2000 years. If you walk onto the site you will soon appreciate the huge scale of this ancient monument. The area also includes a Neolithic Long Barrow, Bronze Age Round Barrows and a group of sunken track-ways. Both of the monuments are owned and managed by English Heritage.
Location:Access to the site can be gained from the B3098 from either Westbury or Bratton. Note that the lanes up onto the hill are steep and narrow, and are used by horse riders.
Grid reference:ST 897 512 (White Horse)
Parking:There is ample car parking.
Dogs:Dog walkers are urged to clean up after their dogs, the site is extensively used by the public, particularly children, and dog mess is both unpleasant and potentially harmful. Please use the dog waste bins provided.
Other useful contacts:
Westbury Town Council (Tel: 01373 822232)
Bratton Parish Council(Tel: 01380 830765 - Parish Clerk)
Toilets:There are various public toilets available in Westbury town centre.
Contact Details
By Post
Senior Countryside Ranger
Countyside Service
Environmental Services
Wiltshire County Council
County Hall
Bythesea Road
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA14 8JD
By Email
By Telephone
01225 713489
By Fax
01225 713269
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm
