thesweetcheat

From the road to the northwest, showing the positioning on the upper slope of the hill but not the top.

Detail of Cairn IV.

Cairn IV, the southernmost in the group. This was previously hidden in thick vegetation.

Cairn III, with Cairn II behind.

Cairn III, looking towards the Hafren/Severn.

The slab in the top of Cairn I.

Cairn I.

Looking across Cairn II to Twmbarlwm.

Cairn II at the north of the group. Last time I came here this cairn had some young trees growing out of it, pleasing to see they’ve been removed from the monument.

Looking east across the southeastern rampart.

The sub-circular structure against the southeastern rampart.

Burning has also revealed this substantial sub-circular structure built up against the southeastern rampart.

Rampart at the southwestern end of the fort, looking across the Hafren/Severn towards England. The prominent hill with the masts over on the right is Mynydd Machen, which is topped with a Bronze Age cairn.

Looking north to Mynydd Twyn-glas.

Burning has partially revealed this hut circle inside the northern rampart.

Looking down on Cwm Carn to the northwest. The Brecon Beacons are on the far right skyline.

Looking along the northern rampart to the motte.

Beckbury in May splendour.

Looking southwest towards Winchcombe from the southern rampart.

The unattributed monument at the northwestern corner of the fort.

Looking northwest towards the Malvern Hills.

The western escarpment.

Looking north along the eastern rampart.

The eastern rampart.

The northwestern barrow. I’ve been so you don’t have to.

The single bank of the southern rampart.

Looking north across the fort interior.

Looking over the hawthorn dotted northern flank, towards the Malverns and Bredon Hill.

Looking over the western defences, mostly reliant on the natural slope. The hills in the centre are Dixton Hill and Oxenton Hill, both with earthworks of their own, the Malverns over to the far right.

Overgrown bank and ditch at the northeastern corner.

Beneath the trees at the northeastern corner of the fort.

Looking outwards from the inner bank of the northern rampart.

The double banks of the northern rampart.

The southern flank.

Slight evidence of a bank, or at least an artificial enhancement to the natural scarp, near the southern corner of the site.

Looking southeast along the top of the southwestern flank. The defences here rely on the natural steepness of the hill.

The northeastern bank and ditch.

The northeastern rampart.

Looking over the northern “rampart” towards Bredon Hill.

Titterstone Clee under big May clouds, seen from the southwest across the border in Herefordshire.

The Needle’s Eye.

The southwestern gate.

Looking down on the southwestern gate. The views stretch from the west Shropshire Hills to take in the Arans and Berwyns.

Looking south from the outcrop above the Needle’s Eye.

The “inner” fort from the outcrop above the southwestern gate.

Above the Raven’s Bowl on the southeastern flank. The big hill on the skyline is Brown Clee, the highest in Shropshire with three forts of its own.

The northwestern flank, looking southwest. The line of the rampart runs near the top of the slope, but really the steepness of the hillside provides most of the defensive capability. Caer Caradoc is prominent on the centre skyline, with the Long Mynd to the right and the Stiperstones to the right again.

Heaven Gate.

Looking north from the upper rampart near Heaven Gate.