Long Mountain from Montgomery Castle. Beacon Ring hillfort is on the highest point, towards the left hand end. Offa’s Dyke crosses the flat lands below.
Images
The ridge of Long Mountain seen from Lymore Park to the SSW. The fort can be seen towards the lefthand (southwest) end of the ridge.
The fort from the south. The rampart can be seen beneath the trees.
Impressive earthworks near the southern entrance.
The southern entrance. Becairned Corndon Hill fills the skyline to the SE.
On the south-eastern rampart.
Extensive views from the western rampart, looking NW. Outskirts of Welshpool can be seen below on the far left.
Heavily overgrown rampart on the western side of the fort.
The northern-eastern rampart, near the northern entrance.
The rampart at the northern end of the fort.
Approaching the tree-covered fort from the north.
Long Mountain, with Beacon Ring surrounded by trees on the right skyline. The volcanic Breddins are over to the far left. From Powis Castle, near Welshpool.
Beacon Ring (centre skyline) seen from the gardens at Powis Castle.
Articles
A Bronze Age round barrow lies within this later Iron Age fort on the highest point of Long Mountain. ‘Beacon Ring’ rather implies that the site has also been used for beacon fires.
Grinsell (Folklore of Prehistoric Sites in Britain) recorded that it is a haunt of fairies, and J+C Bord (Atlas of Magical Britain) describe it as ‘atmospheric’.
There are remote districts in our county where the more ignorant part of the population still put their faith in witchcraft; and the fairies are still believed to hold their assemblies at the Beacon ring on the Long Mountain.. From p64 of ‘On the Local Legends of Shropshire’ by Thomas Wright. p56 in ‘Collectanea Archaeologica’ v1, 1862. Online at Google Books.
This website has a photo and some information on the fort.
I don’t know what the fairies would think of what was done in 1953: to mark the coronation trees were planted to form ‘ER’ when seen from the air.
Sites within 20km of Beacon Ring
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Black Bank
photo 3 description 1 -
Beechfield
photo 1 link 1 -
Maen Llog
photo 3 description 4 -
Sarn-y-Bryn-Caled (Destroyed)
description 1 link 2 -
Sarn-y-Bryn-Caled
description 2 -
Crowther’s Camp
photo 1 description 1 -
Castle Ring (Rorrington)
photo 1 description 1 -
Caus Castle
photo 12 description 1 link 1 -
Dyffryn Lane
forum 1 description 2 link 1 -
Maen Beuno
photo 3 description 4 -
Cefn-yr-allt
description 1 -
The Cow Stone
photo 7 description 2 -
Gaer Fawr (Welshpool)
photo 16 forum 1 link 4 -
Stapeley Hill
photo 15 description 2 -
The Hoarstones
photo 51 forum 1 description 7 -
Mitchell’s Fold
photo 105 forum 7 description 10 link 2 -
Mitchell’s Fold cairn
photo 4 description 1 -
Cefyn y Castell
photo 20 description 1 -
Pen-y-Foel
photo 2 link 1 -
Golfa
description 1 -
New Pieces Enclosure, Breiddin Hill
photo 3 description 1 -
Whetstones
photo 4 forum 1 description 1 -
Breiddin Hill Camp
photo 9 description 1 link 1 -
Whetstones Cairn
photo 3 description 1 -
Pant Brwynog
photo 2 -
Corndon Hill
photo 45 description 2 -
Ffridd Faldwyn
photo 11 description 1 -
Pennerley Barrows
photo 9 description 1 -
Roundton
photo 2 description 1 -
Y Gaer (Meifod)
description 1 -
Cwm Mawr Stone Axe Factory
description 2 link 2 -
Castle Ring (Shelve)
photo 10 description 1 -
Crosswood
photo 4 description 2 -
Callow Hill Camp
photo 1 link 1 -
Collfryn
forum 1 description 1 -
The Rossett
photo 3 description 2 -
Cefn-Cyfronydd
photo 2 description 1 -
The Stiperstones
photo 22 description 6 -
Bryn Mawr
photo 2 description 1 -
Heath Mynd
photo 7 description 1 -
Earl’s Hill and Pontesford Hill
photo 24 description 4 -
Roveries Hill
photo 1 description 1 -
Long Hill
description 1 -
Pentre Camp (Llangyniew)
link 1 -
Cothercott Hill
photo 3 description 2 -
Soldier’s Mount
description 2 -
Castle Ring (Ratlinghope)
photo 9 description 1 -
Caer Din
description 1 -
St Mary’s Well
photo 2 description 2 -
Llanymynech Hill
photo 6 description 6 link 1 -
Castle Ring tumulus
photo 6 description 1 -
Blodwel Rock
photo 4 description 3 -
Lower Short Ditch
description 1 -
Nesscliffe Hill Camp
photo 21 description 4 -
Lea Stone
description 1 -
The Long Mynd
photo 1 -
Shooting Box barrows
photo 15 description 3 -
Pole Cottage
photo 5 description 1 -
Robin Hood’s Butts (Shropshire)
photo 9 description 3 -
Boiling Well barrows
photo 7 description 2 -
Brynar and Riddle
description 1 -
Upper Short Ditch
description 1 -
High Park cross dyke
description 1