.jpg) An easternly view of the western entrance to Old Oswestry hill fort | |
  Location of Old Oswestry Hill Fort within Shropshire | |
| Location | Oswestry, Shropshire |
|---|---|
| Region | West Midlands |
| Coordinates | 52°52′22″N 3°02′56″W / 52.87273°N 3.04886°W |
| OS grid reference | SJ 2957 3103 |
| Altitude | 165 m (541 ft) |
| Type | Hillfort |
| Area | 25 ha (62 acres) |
| Diameter | 500 m (550 yd) |
| Circumference | 1,600 yd (1,500 m) |
| Height | 27 m (89 ft) |
| History | |
| Material | earth and wood |
| Founded | 8th century BCE |
| Abandoned | Roman conquest of Britain |
| Periods | Iron Age Roman Britain |
| Cultures | Celtic people of Iron Age Britain |
| Associated with | Cornovii or Ordovices |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1939 |
| Archaeologists | William J Varley |
| Management | English Heritage |
| Public access | free |
Old Oswestry (Welsh: Hen Ddinas) is a large early Iron Age hill fort in the Welsh Marches near Oswestry in north west Shropshire, England. The earthworks, which remain one of the best preserved hill forts in the UK, have been described as "The Stonehenge of the Iron Age Period". After the hill fort was abandoned, it was incorporated into Wat's Dyke by the Mercians during the Early Medieval period.[1]
The hill fort was designated as a scheduled monument in 1934. The site is now managed by English Heritage. The accessible hill fort, at 160 metres (520 ft) ordnance datum,[2] gives panoramic views across North and Mid Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
English Heritage - Old Oswestry Hill Fortwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Hughes, E. G. (August 1991). Old Oswestry Hillfort, Shropshire Site Narrative and Archive assessment of Excavations by W.J.Varley 1939–1940 (PDF) (Report) (February 1993 ed.). Birmingham University Field Archaeological Unit. p. 2. Retrieved 9 April 2024.