ings . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁site ▁was ▁first ▁occupied ▁some ▁ 2 5 0 0 ▁years ▁ago , ▁and ▁was ▁then ▁in ▁use ▁during ▁the ▁Roman ▁occupation ▁of ▁the ▁area . ▁ ▁Arch ae ological ▁investig ations ▁at ▁Bar bury ▁have ▁shown ▁evidence ▁of ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁buildings , ▁indicating ▁a ▁village ▁or ▁military ▁g arrison ▁at ▁this ▁time . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁century ▁the ▁site ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Sax on ▁kingdom ▁of ▁W esse x , ▁following ▁the ▁defeat ▁of ▁the ▁Rom ano - B rit ish ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Ber an burgh , ▁Ber an ▁By rig ▁or ▁Ber an by rig ▁in ▁AD ▁ 5 5 6 , ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁which ▁is ▁just ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁castle . ▁Cent uries ▁later ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁a ▁favour ite ▁ha unt ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁writer ▁Richard ▁J ef fer ies , ▁who ▁lived ▁an ▁hour ’ s ▁walk ▁away ▁at ▁Co ate . ▁ ▁In ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁the ▁War ▁Ministry ▁appropri ated ▁the ▁site ▁for ▁US ▁Army ▁Air ▁Force ▁anti - air craft ▁guns ; ▁the ▁bases ▁for ▁these ▁are ▁apparently ▁visible ▁as ▁h ollow s ▁around ▁the ▁edge ▁of ▁the ▁fort ▁interior . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁a ▁ge oph ys ical ▁survey ▁revealed ▁traces ▁of ▁ 4 0 ▁h ut ▁circles ▁inside ▁the ▁castle . ▁A ▁reconst ruction ▁of ▁an ▁Iron ▁Age ▁round house ▁was ▁built ▁on ▁the ▁site ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6