There are delights to be discovered walking in the forest at any time of year, but autumn makes it just that little bit more special. As the leaves on the trees change through a myriad of colours, then fall to the floor, the whole place becomes so beautiful. It is no accident therefore that I chose to visit the 2,500 year old hill fort during this season.
Cannock Chase cloisters around it, like it never did during the Iron Age, but moreover there are the views. The Celts chose to build here because it allowed them to see invaders approaching from miles around, in a 360 degree vista; the modern visitor can see just as far. Distant hillsides carpeted with conifers; the Trent Valley far below; the ancient oaks and birches closer to hand, they all await the woodland walkers this autumn.
The History and Wildlife of Castle Ring Hill Fort
At the foot of the steps leading onto the earthen ramparts, there are several information boards. One simply announces that this is Castle Ring, a 2,500 year old hill fort. Another is more general, displaying notices for the whole forest, including emergency numbers and events.
Another gives an artist's impression of how Castle Ring must have looked in 500 BCE, when the Cornovii constructed the hill fort, as defence against neighbouring, war-like Celtic tribes. A brief, but adequate history is provided in the text around it. No prior historical knowledge is needed to gain a context for Castle Ring.
However, if a guide is needed, then the aforementioned second notice-board does show a leaflet, that is also available in the Park Gate Inn. I picked this up. It was on a shelf just to the right inside the doorway of the main bar. The leaflet shows an aerial view of the hill fort, with items of interest highlighted. A little more of the history is told, alongside photographs and descriptions of the wildlife around Castle Ring.
Historical Walks Through Castle Ring and Cannock Chase
Visitors access the hill fort up a short staircase of compacted soil and timber. This would make it difficult for wheelchairs, though I did witness an elderly lady with a stick coping just fine upon the arm of her friend.
This is not the original, Celtic entrance point, which would have been to the east and was much steeper. Instead the staircase emerges already on top of the rampart, with a view overlooking the eight and a half acre interior of the Iron Age fort.
At first glance, it appears merely as a plateau, covered in sheep grass, fern, bushes and moss, but a careful inspection will pick out where the Celtic roundhouses once stood. They were in several clusters dotted within the earthen walls.
There is also the square, stone foundation of a 12th century hunting lodge, which can clearly be distinguished. A wide trackway bisects the plateau. This was laid down during the reign of George III, as a carriage drive. Evidently the Hanoverians did not embrace the notion of walking in woodland.
Inspecting 2000 Year Old Ramparts at Castle Ring Hill Fort
Walkers are encouraged to remain on the main pathway encircling the fort. Over 2000 years of erosion has rendered this much shallower than it was, when it was defending the inhabitants. This has been further damaged in modern times, as people on mountain bikes have used the terraces as a cycling course.
However, there are three areas where visitors can step down from the earthen walls, in order to examine the remains of the terraces and ditches that once surrounded and protected the hill fort. At the carpark's entrance, walkers can elect to take the left hand track under Castle Ring. Alternatively, there are the Celtic and Hanoverian entrances, which are accessed from above.
No imagination is needed to see the dips and troughs in the landscape, though they are neither as deep nor high as they would have been in 500 BCE. Nevertheless, they represent a remarkable feat of ancient engineering, as well as looking so very beautiful with the foliage and trees of today's Cannock Chase.
Autumn Walks Amongst the Woodland of Cannock Chase
From Castle Ring, the rest of Cannock Chase can be accessed. There are wide, well-kept pathways for exploring the forest; but there are also thousands of tiny routes taking intrepid walkers off the beaten track. I took the latter, as the scenery and whim took me. There were some stunning sights amongst the trees, including encountering a family of deer and finding what appeared to be tumuli.
Cannock Chase was definitely worth visiting for a woodland walk, as its popularity with other visitors could testify. As the trees turned red and gold, over vast miles viewed from the top of Castle Ring, it was a wonderful place to be.
Cannock Chase: Accessing the Iron Age Castle Ring Hill Fort
Castle Ring can be found near to the village of Cannock Wood, at the southern edge of Cannock Chase, in Staffordshire. It is clearly marked on road-signs from the main roads cutting through Rugeley and Hednesford. There is plenty of car-parking at the entrance, and also in the pub over the road, though there is a warning that it closes at night. None of the noticeboards gave a time for when the barrier comes down.
Entrance is free, with no warden directly overseeing the hill fort, though South Staffordshire Council have rangers in the whole of Cannock Chase. Refreshments and other amenities, like toilet facilities, are not available at the hill fort. However, the Park Gate Inn is just over the road. As well as the usual beverages, it serves meals and the grounds include a children's play-area. It is a dog friendly bar.
Dogs are welcome at Castle Ring (indeed I saw several people walking with a canine companion there), but rangers recommend that they are kept on a lead, while at the hill fort. This is because there are some marshy, boggy areas fenced off, which could prove dangerous for an animal running onto them.
Jo Harrington - Jo has a BA (Hons) in History and Philosophy and a MA in History. She has a book published on the history of Wicca.
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