Visited 24.2.11
As part of my on-going ambition to visit all 401 English Heritage sites I called in on Beeston Castle. I had no idea about its prehistoric founding but was pleasantly surprised when reading the guide book which has 3 pages on this (pages 19, 20, 21). This includes photos of flint arrowheads and bronze axe heads found at the site.
It is a bit of a steep climb up to the top of the castle (well it is when you are carrying a 3 year old!) but the view makes it well worth the effort.
The views really are stunning.
All in all a nice place to visit. Entrance fee applies.
Gawd knows when history began here,but the museum states that there was first a neolithic prescence,then a bronze age hillfort later giving in to the iron age .The castle itself warrants a mention built by Ranulf 6th earl of Chester he married into the Plantagenets and on returning from the crusades built Beeston castle .
Beeston crag is all sandstone (as is everywhere within 50 miles )and the big single hill thats in the middle of a chain of hills known as the mid Cheshire ridge mentioned by Burl as a prehistoric route from Yorks to Shrops .
There are also two caves one big but closed due to cave-ins and another shallower one .
The castle walls follow the Iron age ramparts, and what seems to be a rock cut ditch (of unknown date ,to me anyway)leads to the entrance.
The views are amazing,and at least 6 counties can be seen,It even has a small standing stone(not sand stone) I wouldve asked about it but it was closing time and the kids were hungry
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Posted by postman
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