Hardwell Castle or Hardwell Camp is classed as an Iron Age valley fort, although, like nearby Cherbury Camp, it is not clearly in a strategic or easily defended position. It lies halfway down the scarp slope of the White Horse Hills and is tucked away in a curve, invisible from most angles.
Access to the Camp is through a hole in the fence about 10 m’s from the gate on the main road. The northern facing earthworks are completely wooded over but are the most impressive with a ditch and bank up to 7 meters in height with 2 spurs coming off down to the level of the camp entrance. The eastern and western defences are natural gulleys enhanced by man made banks and ditches . The southern earthworks are about 8 ft in height as the inside of the fort is level with the countryside to the south. Well worth a visit but the site is used for pheasant pens so be careful.