Ringwall Venne

The Ringwall Venne is an ancient earthwork in the Kottenforst, a forest north of Bonn. It stands near the village of Schweinheim, beside the Vennegraben stream. The site forms a rough rectangle with rounded corners, built on the south side of the ditch. A wide ditch 7 m across runs around the outside, and the rampart itself is 3 m thick at its base. Archaeologists recognise it as a medieval refuge fort. The fort dates from the 10th to 12th centuries. Inside, traces of slate-roofed houses have been found, showing how people once lived there. A wooden palisade once topped the rampart to keep attackers out. Excavations have uncovered pottery and tools from the period, linking the site to the early Middle Ages. Its position beside the stream would have provided water and some protection. Visitors walk along grassy paths that follow the old ditch and rampart. The quiet woodland setting makes it easy to imagine the fort in use a thousand years ago. Information boards explain what the earthworks once held. The site is small but gives a clear picture of a simple refuge built for safety.