Berry Mound is an

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

hill fort A hillfort is a type of fortification, fortified refuge or defended settlement located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typical of the late Bronze Age Europe, European Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe, Iron Age. So ...

in the

Bromsgrove Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England, about north-east of Worcester and south-west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 34,755 in at the 2021 census. It gives its name to the wider Bromsgrove District, of which it is ...

district of

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...

, near

Shirley, West Midlands Shirley is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, in the West Midlands, England. Historically a rural settlement within the county of Warwickshire, it is now contiguous with nearby Solihull and Birmingham. History The earliest known ...

, on the outskirts of

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

. It has been dated to the 1st or 2nd century BC. The fort covers , measuring from north to south and from east to west. It is surrounded by a wide earth rampart. To the north was a V-shaped ditch that was wide and deep, to the south one wide and deep. Faint traces of a second rampart or defensive terrace to the north were observed in 1959, and 19th century observers recorded the existence of a third line of ramparts and ditches, though no traces of these remain. The entrance to the fort was on the east side, though it is possible that there was originally a second entrance located on an axis with the first, as at the similar

Sutton Walls Hill Fort Sutton Walls Hillfort, in the parish of Sutton, Herefordshire, is an elongated ovoid Iron Age hill fort located north of the city of Hereford, England. It was added to the Sites and Monuments Record in 1988. History The Sutton Walls hillfort ...

. The site was excavated in 1959, with traces of timber

revetment A revetment in stream restoration, river engineering or coastal engineering is a facing of impact-resistant material (such as stone, concrete, sandbags, or wooden piles) applied to a bank or wall in order to absorb the energy of incoming water an ...

s being found on the ramparts. The site has previously been known as "Danes camp field" and "Danes bury field" the term Berry or Bury comes from the old English "Burgh" meaning defensive position so was presumably known to the early English. There are local stories concerning King Alfred doing battle with the Danes who had been trapped in Berry Mound, excavations at the site showed signs of refortification at a later date which would fit in with this story. Nearby to the south west lies a

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

, ''Berry Mound Pastures'', comprising an area of 11.84 hectares (29.26 acres) of horse grazed

pasture Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Types of pasture Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, c ...

land and

meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non- woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable con ...

. The site was first notified in 1994. The interest of the site lies in the diversity of the semi-natural grassland. In addition there is a stream and a small pond, and much rich flora and fauna can be found here.

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References

{{Authority control Hill forts in Worcestershire Iron Age sites in England Bromsgrove