Bury Ditches

Iron Age Hillfort

Bury Ditches is a British Iron Age hill fort between Clun and Bishop’s Castle in the Shropshire Hills of central England. It is located just W of minor road from Lower Down to Clunton. Steep climb through woodland.

Bury Ditches is often rated as a spectacular example of a surviving hill fort as it forms a small (2.5ha) neat oval or elliptical shape and is situated on the crown of a hill called Sunnyhill. It was probably built in 2 phases: first, a double bank, with median ditch; later it was strengthened on the NW by two more banks and a median ditch. There are two complex entrances, on the NE and S, with inturned passages and guard-chambers. There is a legend that the site contains a pot of fairy gold, attached to which is a thread of gold wire that will lead someone to the spot.

From the summit views are clear to the Long Mynd, Corndon Hill and other Shropshire Hills.

Visit, 1st May 1999:

The steep climb up the woodland path to the hillfort is lined with patches of Bluebells, Stitchwort, Willow Herb, Red Campion, the occasional bed of Speedwell and Wood Sorrel, and single specimens of Dog Violet. The fort has superb views in all directions save the S, where the long ridge of Black Hill and Radnor Forest obscures the view towards Coxall Knoll. In the distant E can be seen Titterstone Clee, Brown Clee and Wenlock Edge; NE sees the Long Mynd, N over the rooftops of Bishops Castle can be seen the neolithic axe factory of Corndon Hill, Heath Mynd, Stiperstones and the Roveries hillfort; to the W are the rolling, largely cultivated hills of Clun Forest, and the line of Offa’s Dyke, which unfortunately is obscured by the hills, lying for the most part below their crests. The fort is noticably higher in its northern quarter, and it is this extreme N of the camp that offers the best all round views.

Map References for Bury Ditches – Lydbury North, Shropshire

NGRef: SO327837 OSMap: LR137

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