Volunteers at Iron Age hillfort after vandalism

Win Scutt is the curator of Oswestry's Iron Age hillfort

Volunteers have been helping restore an Iron Age hillfort, which was recently damaged by vandals.

The Oswestry team spent a day clearing bracken and tree stumps to help preserve Old Oswestry's archaeological features.

The hillfort - known as Hen Ddinas in Welsh - was built and occupied during the Iron Age, the period between around 750BC and 43AD.

Curator Win Scutt from English Heritage said it was "wonderful" to see so many local people looking after the site.

The earthen structure is thought to be amongst the best-preserved in the country, with parts of it estimated to be 1,000 years old.

It is now managed by English Heritage - and their latest undertaking is to cut away bracken and small trees to improve the site's appearance and protect its archaeological features.

The site is a scheduled monument, protected by law for its archaeological and historical value

"We're trying to get the hillfort back to grass as it should be, as over the years small trees have started to take over," Mr Scutt said.

He added that the site's flock of Soay-Hebridean sheep are "good at eating the bracken" to help maintain the grassland.

"It's not just the visuals - it's also the archaeology underneath," he said, noting that bracken roots are "doing a tremendous amount of damage" by tearing layers of earth apart.

Mr Scutt said protecting archaeology and ecology at the same time is "a delicate balance," with English Heritage also keen to preserve wildlife corridors for the site's newts, birds, and pollinators.

Sheep are helping too - munching on bracken to keep the hillfort covered in grass

Local archaeologist Tim Malim was one of the volunteers tasked with clearing away the vegetation.

The site is important for local culture, as well as for archaeological research, he said.

"There are also lots of myths about the hillfort being associated with [King] Arthur" Mr Malim said.

"One of the names for Old Oswestry is Caer Ogrfan, and Ogrfan [in some Welsh sources] was the father of Guinevere - and he was a giant!"

As an Oswestry resident, Mr Malim said it is "wonderful" to have such an important place on his doorstep.

"You feel as if you're a bit of a steward - you're trying to protect it, as well as understand it," he said.

Mr Malim said as an Oswestry resident, he feels like "a steward" of the hillfort

But the hillfort was targeted by vandals, who dug firepits and rode mountain bikes, carving out deep grooves into the Iron Age earthworks.

Old Oswestry is a scheduled monument, a site protected by law for its archaeological and historical value.

"That vandalism is doing such damage - some of it permanent damage - if you dig a hole on this site, you destroy the archaeology," Mr Scutt said.

"There are no written records for [the Iron Age], so it's only archaeology that tells us what was going on."

But standing on one of the thousand-year-old ramparts dotted with volunteers in their hi-vis jackets, Mr Scutt said he is thrilled to see local people working to preserve their history.

"Just to share a day with all of these volunteers is absolutely wonderful," he said.

"They do such a fantastic job."