Hundred expected to hug for the Oswestry hillfort

The Hug-a-Hillfort weekend will take place in Oswestry on Saturday and Sunday to show support for old Oswestry, an ancient monument and reputed to be the birthplace of Guinevere, King Arthur's wife and queen.

Plans for housing on the hillfort's hinterland are being challenged by historians and local people, who say the homes will damage views to an from the site.

Shropshire Council has agreed that land off the Whittington Road on the edge of Oswestry should be zoned for housing as part of its SamDev planning document.

But protestors say they will object when a planning application comes before the council.

This weekend is billed as a celebration of the hillfort. On Saturday there will be an all day seminar at Oswestry Memorial Hall, a drum workshop at the Hermon chapel at lunchtime and live music at the Hermon in the evening.

Sunday sees the Hug-a-Hillfort event start at the Gateacre car park near Woodside school at 1pm. Supporters will walk across a footpath to Old Oswestry, culminating in a procession along the ramparts with lights and drums.

The event attracted more than 450 people last year and was supported by a national social media campaign, #hugyourheritage, created by the Council of British Archaeology.

There is also an art exhibition at the Willow Gallery and Oswestry Visitor and Heritage Centre while artwork from the children of Holy Trinity School and a wall hanging from the Project Group is in the Hermon chapel.

Campaigner and heritage expert, Dr George Nash said: "This is yet again another extremely visual display by the people of Shropshire and the Borderlands showing their support for this iconic monument. Let's hope Shropshire Council with its new leader can see and hear what the people are saying, which is simply 'No' to development."

Artist Diana Baur urged people to join Sunday's event, adding: "We are asking people to bring their own light and improvised drum and join in the hug procession."

The free Saturday night entertainment event will see the Iron Age become the new rock and roll as musicians and performers doff their artistic hats to Oswestry's iconic hillfort, recently dubbed the 'Stonehenge of the Iron Age'.

The line-up includes The Improetry Collective, a collaboration of musicians with Neil McKeown performing classic poetry with a hillfort twist.

There will also be improvised drama making reference to the hillfort from Pimp$ouls, aka Terry and Dru Cripps. Newly formed Oswestry Jazz Orchestra will be performing modern jazz and improvisations, Old Oswestry textures will also feature in original tracks written by Guy Turner, and the Iron Age meets electronica and drum and bass in compositions performed by producer, Envelope.

In 'An Audience with Old Oswestry', musician, Neil Phillips, will take an alternative look at the hillfort's current woes over planned housing in its back garden.