Cadbury Castle
Cadbury Castle in South Somerset is not a castle! Never has been actually.
It is an Iron Age hillfort.
A military stronghold for over 4000 years, the first earthen ramparts were raised in the Stone Age.
During the Iron Age the fort was occupied by the Durotriges tribe, who gave their name to Dorset.
All that remains today are the circular rings of earthen ramparts and a mixture of banks and ditches.
King Arthur’s Camelot
It is not only the Iron Age history that draws people to this windswept hilltop but also Cadbury’s claim to be the site of Camelot, the legendary court of King Arthur.
Cadbury Castle has been associated with King Arthur and Camelot since at least the 1,500’s when John Leland, a famous British author wrote about it in his account of Ancient British History.
The closeness of the site to Glastonbury Tor makes this folklore for many King Arthur enthusiasts even more compelling.
Below the hill there are the slightest traces of an ancient trackway running in the direction of Glastonbury.
This track is known as Arthur’s Hunting Path or Causeway.
It is thought that this was an ancient Neolithic trackway across the Somerset marshes linking Cadbury with Glastonbury.
Walking
There is a car park on the main road in the village of South Cadbury. From the carpark the walk to the ‘Castle’ is well signposted and up a rocky track.
At the top of the hill, you can walk the ramparts in either direction in a loop.
We often walked around Cadbury Castle and our favourite walk heads south towards Corton Ridge.
Follow the Monarch Way for 1,5 kilometres and then follow the path towards Corton Denham.
Here you can stop for lunch at The Queen’s Arms.
Then the route follows the slopes of Corton Hill back towards Cadbury Castle.
The Leland Trail
The Leland Trail is a 28-mile (45 km) footpath, which follows the footsteps of John Leland as he traversed South Somerset between 1535 and 1543.
The Trail begins at King Alfred’s Tower on the Wiltshire/Somerset border and finishes at Ham Hill Country Park.
Stage 4 of the Leland Trail (4,8-mile) from North Cadbury to Queen Camel passes Cadbury Castle.
The Macmillan Way
The Macmillan Way is a long-distance footpath that links Boston in Lincolnshire to Abbotsbury in Dorset. The route’s distance is 290 miles (470 km).
Between Castle Cary and Abbotsbury, the route takes in Cadbury Castle.
Cool Places to Explore
Glastonbury Tor | Ham Hill | Montacute House | Tintinhull House & Garden | Lytes Cary Manor | Flee Air Arm Museum | Castle Cary.
Cool Places to Eat
The Queen’s Arms | At the Chapel.
