Heritage experts will examine the complex role of Old Oswestry’s landscape through the ages at a forthcoming seminar dedicated to the 3,000-year-old hillfort.
Entitled “A Wider Understanding of Old Oswestry and its Setting”, this is the second seminar organised by campaign group HOOOH as it continues to fight development targeting the hillfort’s ancient landscape.
Speakers include hillfort and prehistory specialist, Dr Rachel Pope of the University of Liverpool, who will make the case that the setting of hillforts should now be recognised as a heritage protection concern.
Prehistoric finds in North Shropshire, as reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), are the focus of Peter Reavill’s presentation as he discusses what they reveal of the County’s wider archaeological landscape.
Hillfort researcher, David Matthews, will provide analysis of the intervisible links and tribal connections between Old Oswestry and the hillforts of the Northern Marches.
Heritage planning expert, Tim Malim, will examine how location, ancient routes and trading links helped define the importance of Old Oswestry in the Medieval period.
New revelations about the World War One legacy of Old Oswestry’s hinterland and connections with Park Hall Camp are the subject of archaeologist Dr George Nash’s paper.
Folktales and legends of the landscape come under the scrutiny of archaeologist, Caroline Malim, as she asks whether archaeology can unlock the truth or fiction behind them.
Neil Phillips of HOOOH said: “Our 2016 speakers will show how the many diverse aspects of Old Oswestry’s hinterland contribute to its story and to our understanding of this nationally important heritage site.”
He adds: “It is telling that our second seminar is escalating the archaeological and cultural evidence for the importance of the hillfort’s setting which should be protected from development under planning law.”
He adds: “It is telling that our second seminar is escalating the archaeological and cultural evidence for the importance of the hillfort’s setting which should be protected from development under planning law.”
Last December, Shropshire councillors approved a site for 117 houses in Old Oswestry’s near setting to meet housing targets in the County’s SAMDev local plan. This would trigger urban growth across its south-eastern set- ting and ever closer towards the scheduled hillfort and adjoining medieval defence Wat’s Dyke. HOOOH says that this archaeologically busy quadrant of its landscape also lies at the heart of the most historically significant vistas to and from the monument.
Free to attend, the day-long seminar takes place on February 13 from 10am to 4.15pm in Oswestry’s Memorial Hall in Smithfield Street.
It forms the keynote to a weekend of activities devoted to Old Oswestry running February 13 and 14, culminating with a hillfort hug on Valentine’s Sunday.
HOOOH’s inaugural seminar in February 2014 attracted a full house and organisers are anticipating similar interest in this year’s event.
Leave a Reply