'Our history is being hurt and damaged': Vandals attack treasured Iron Age hillfort in Shropshire

Old Oswestry Hillfort has become a hotspot for anti-social behaviour in recent months, with vandals digging firepits, breaking gates and riding bikes across the grounds. 

The site, believed to be almost 2,500-years-old, is said to be one of the largest Iron Age hillfort not only in Shropshire but across the country. 

English Heritage, the charity that manages more than 400 historic monuments, buildings and places including Old Oswestry, said any such damage to the site, which is protected by the Government under the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, is a criminal offence. 

Speaking to the Shropshire Star, properties curator Win Scutt said the visual damage to the site might be disheartening to see but it is the lost archaeology that is really the concern. 

Win said: “We’ve had problems in recent years. There's always bits of rubbish, which is manageable, but what we've been getting is more and more kids, it seems, biking there and using some of the banks to make their biking a bit more exciting. 

“And what they're doing is cutting deep furrows - that obviously has a visual impact, it's not nice - but what's of more concern to me is that they're actually damaging the archaeology in the ground. 

“The archaeology holds all information that we haven't explored yet about the Iron Age, it's the reason it's a scheduled monument.” 

Win continued: “We are custodians, if you like, as English Heritage. We look after the site on behalf of the state and on behalf of everybody in this country.

“So this damage upsets us individually, as a staff who work for English heritage, but really we're upset on behalf of the nation, that our history is being hurt and damaged. 

“We're trying to preserve it for future generations and once it's damaged, it can't be reversed unfortunately.”

Old Oswestry is a popular destination for sight seekers, history-lovers, hikers and dog-walkers and English Heritage is keen to keep the site available to the public. 

Win is now asking these people to be the charity’s “eyes on the ground,” to help preserve the historic site. 

“We don't have the staff to be able to monitor the site all the time. If people are showing anti-social behaviour and causing damage, doing things that aren't allowed like biking on the site, then they should report it because it's an ancient monument and protected under law. 

“Any damage from bikes riding up and down on the banks or people digging holes or making fires is a crime and needs to be reported to West Mercia Police.” 

Win added: “We don't really want to catch people, we just want to educate people and spread the word around Oswestry that it's a really important site and biking is damaging the sites. 

“It’s not mountain bikers. It’s just kids, and I think they're just ignorant of the damage they're doing. And I sympathise with that - I hope that the local authorities can find somewhere where kids can ride their bikes like this, somewhere interesting and fun because it's great that the kids are getting out into the fresh air and getting exercise but it just can't take place on a scheduled monument.”

Find out more information about Old Oswestry via the official English Heritage website.