Open Country

Old Oswestry Hillfort


Listen Later

Helen Mark visits the Iron-Age Hillfort in Oswestry, Shropshire to discover why it's the "Stonehenge of the Iron Age" and how plans for housing might affect the landscape. Dr Rachel Pope tells Helen why the size and scale of the Western entrance ramparts help make the Hillfort one of the most important Iron-Age monuments in England, and why it's a symbol for community and trade rather than defence. Dr George Nash explains how the site was used to train soldiers in trench warfare and mortar practice during World War One. John Waine links this to soldier and poet Wilfred Owen who returned to his home-town of Oswestry for training and may have written 'Storm' in the shadow of the Hillfort. Helen meets Sarah Gibson of the Shropshire Wildlife Trust and goes in search of Yellowhammers and Linnets which nest in the ramparts, and finds out how the Violet Oil Beetle hitches a lift on the backs of bees. Following Shropshire Council's decision to include a piece of land near the Hillfort in their plan for development, Bill Klemperer of Historic England explains how they hope to minimise its impact should an application for housing be made. But for Rachel Pope the Hillfort has so many tales to tell that any erosion to the landscape around it would devalue its setting.

Producer: Toby Field.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Open CountryBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

83 ratings


More shows like Open Country

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,639 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,046 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,520 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,799 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,763 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,049 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,920 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

1,979 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

488 Listeners

Saturday Live by BBC Radio 4

Saturday Live

38 Listeners

Farming Today by BBC Radio 4

Farming Today

64 Listeners

Gardeners' Question Time by BBC Radio 4

Gardeners' Question Time

288 Listeners

The Food Programme by BBC Radio 4

The Food Programme

259 Listeners

Scotland Outdoors by BBC Radio Scotland

Scotland Outdoors

250 Listeners

Ramblings by BBC Radio 4

Ramblings

163 Listeners

The Plodcast by Our Media

The Plodcast

111 Listeners

Gardening with the RHS by Royal Horticultural Society

Gardening with the RHS

267 Listeners

Wild Tales | Nature Podcast by National Trust

Wild Tales | Nature Podcast

101 Listeners

13 Minutes by BBC World Service

13 Minutes

4,159 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,177 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

720 Listeners

As the Season Turns by Ffern

As the Season Turns

238 Listeners

Life Changing by BBC Radio 4

Life Changing

95 Listeners

A Life More Wild by Canopy & Stars

A Life More Wild

26 Listeners

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth by Gyles Brandreth / Plain Jaine Media

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

650 Listeners