Helsby hill fort

Helsby hill fort is an Iron Age hillfort overlooking the village of Helsby in Cheshire, northwest England. Helsby Hill has steep cliffs on the northern and western sides, providing a natural semicircular defence. Double rampart earthworks extend to the south and east to provide protection to those flanks. Two additional banks have been discovered enclosing a rock ledge on the cliff to the north side. Excavations last century revealed a wall composed of sand and rubble, revetted with stone to the back and front.[1][2][3] The hill has a summit of 141 m AOD, and is a prominent landmark rising above the Cheshire Plain, with fine views overlooking the Mersey Estuary and into Wales. Much of the hill is owned and managed by the National Trust.[4] The surrounding areas are well wooded to the southwest, northwest and northeast with farmland to the southeast. The hill fort is protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.[5]

Helsby Hill, on which the hill fort sits

Location

The site is to the east of the large village and civil parish of Helsby, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire.

See also
  • List of Scheduled Monuments in Cheshire dated to before 1066

References
  1. Helsby Hill – Hillfort in England in Cheshire, The Megalithic Portal, retrieved 27 December 2012
  2. D. M. Longley “Prehistory” in C. R. Elrington (ed) “The Victoria History of the County of Chester, volume 1, Oxford University Press (1987)
  3. J. D. Bu’Lock “Hillfort at Helsby” TLCAS Volume 64.
  4. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-green-space-june.pdf Directory of National Trust Green spaces
  5. Historic England, "Promontory fort on Helsby Hill 250m north west of Harmers Lake Farm (1013292)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 1 December 2012

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