Beckbury

Beckbury hillfort is an impressive site, a large open space just smaller than a football field with ramparts on the southerly and eastern ends. The northern and westerly edges follow the escarpment providing some defence. It was a warm and sunny October day the last time I was up here with friends but we still saw no one else whilst we were there. If you don’t know what you’re looking for as a rambler I guess its easy enough to miss (as I did for many years as a child growing up in the area). What can’t be mistaken for constructed is so-called Cromwells seat, a large stone chair on the north western edge of the escarp, scribbled with grafitti which I actually think kind of suit it. I have tried to find out a bit more about this chair and it seems only stories remain of how it came about and why. The most common being that it was built for Thomas Cromwell who met Henry VIII at nearby Winchcombe abbey to plan the dissolution of the monastries. Cromwell then sat atop this chair as Hailes abbey in the valley below were burned down. Others call the chair Arthurs seat though are unsure why this name would be connected to it. The views and the hillfort are well worth the climb, on all but the mistiest days, you can over to the Malvern hills to the west and the vale of Evesham to the North.