Oswestry attraction makes 'must see' list
It is one of Shropshire's jewels – and now Oswestry's Iron Age hill fort has been named one of the 10 "must-see" sites in the UK.
The accolade has come from the respected historic sciences journal HeritageDaily.
Markus Milligan, managing editor of Heritage Daily, named Oswestry's earthworks as the second must-see site on the list, only behind Maiden Castle in Dorset.
His recommendation leads to the prospect of extra visits to the landmark from people interested in history.
He said: "There are around 3,300 hill forts or similar defended enclosures in Britain. The list represents 10 of the most impressive examples.
"Old Oswestry is one of Britain's most spectacular and impressive early Iron Age hill forts in the Welsh Marches near Oswestry. It remains one of the best preserved hill forts in the UK, according to English Heritage.
"It is built on lower ground, but it is also one of the most accessible hill forts. And I love the stunning panoramic views it gives across North Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire."
Mr Milligan tells readers of his journal that the hill fort was designated as a scheduled monument in 1997 it is now in the guardianship of English Heritage.
He said: "After the hill fort was abandoned it was incorporated into Wat's Dyke where two sections of this are adjacent to the fort. It was occupied between the sixth century BC, probably by the Cornovii tribe or the Ordivice tribe."
The other hill forts on the list are Traprain Law in East Lothian; Hambledon Hill in Dorset; Cadbury Castle in Somerset; Battlesbury Camp in Wiltshire; The British Camp at the top of Herefordshire Beacon in the Malvern Hills; Cissbury Ring on the South Downs in West Sussex; Danebury in Hampshire; and Woden Law in the Cheviot hills on the Scottish borders.
Hill forts are a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement which were located on higher ground to give a defensive advantage.
They developed in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age, roughly the start of the first millennium BC, and were in use by the ancient Britons until the Roman conquest. The fortification usually follows the contours of a hill, with lines of earthworks, stockades or defensive walls, and external ditches.
The Oswestry hill fort has been at the centre of a fight to prevent the development of housing. It has led to a petition signed by 8,000 people.
