Old Oswestry

Old Oswestry is a large Iron Age hill fort in the Welsh Marches near Oswestry in Shropshire. The earthworks remain among the best preserved in the UK and have been compared to Stonehenge for their Iron Age importance. After the fort was abandoned, the Mercians built Wat’s Dyke through the site in the early medieval period. The hill stands at 160 metres above sea level and offers wide views across North and Mid Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire. English Heritage now manages the accessible site. The fort’s earliest occupation began in the 8th century BC and lasted until the Roman conquest. Its builders were likely the Cornovii or Ordovices tribes, and the defences show several phases of development. The first huts stood on an undefended hillock before being enclosed by a double bank and ditch covering 5.3 hectares. Later a third bank was added except where the slope made it unnecessary. The western entrance was remodelled with unusual rectangular hollows defended by outworks. Wilfred Owen trained here during the First World War when Canadian troops used the earthworks for exercises. Archaeologist William J. Varley carried out the most thorough examination in 1939–40, showing four distinct phases in the ramparts’ construction. A 3D model produced in 2024 now guides vegetation management. Campaigns by local residents and archaeologists have blocked nearby housing plans. The site remains free to visit and open to the public.