A combination of local fundraising and grants has secured the preservation of Credenhill Iron Age Hill Fort near Hereford (England). The Hill Fort, dated to around 200 BCE, is one of the largest structures of its kind in the UK and is thought to have been an Iron Age tribal capital. The whole area, including Park Wood, has been purchased by the Woodland Trust. £70,000 was raised locally and grants were received from the Severn Waste Environmental Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
     Shrouded by a conifer plantation but with extensive visible ramparts, little is known of the Fort and virtually no historic material has so far been recovered. The Woodland Trust will now be working with Herefordshire Council's Archaeology Department to conduct detailed surveys of the site.
     A celebration of the purchase was held on Sunday 11th May.

Source: BBC News (10 May 2003)