Old Oswestry

Old Oswestry is one of Britain's most spectacular and impressive early Iron Age hill forts in the Welsh Marches near Oswestry in north west Shropshire. Old Oswestry Hillfort is reputed as "The Stonehenge of the Iron Age Period" - Dr Rachel Pope, University of Liverpool. It remains one of the best preserved hill forts in the UK, according to English Heritage. Built on lower ground, it is also one of the most accessible hill forts with stunning panoramic views across North Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire.

Designated as a scheduled monument (number 27556) in 1934 it is now in the guardianship of English Heritage. After the hill fort was abandoned it was incorporated into Wat's Dyke, and two sections of this are adjacent to it.

Iron Age Hillfort

It was occupied between the eighth century BCE and the Roman conquest of Britain, probably by the Cornovii tribe or the Ordivice tribe.

Several phases

The complexity of its defenses suggests several phases of development. The site was originally occupied by a few undefended round huts. These were then enclosed by a double bank and ditch enclosure spreading over 52,000 square metres (13 acres). Entrances were placed through the enclosure at the east and west ends where the inner bank was pulled back inwards to create a more impressive gateway. These defenses were later rebuilt and a third bank added on all sides except the south east where the hill's steep slope made further strengthening unnecessary. The western entrance was then remodeled with unusual rectangular hollows separated by ridges dug out and defended by outworks. Finally two further circuits of banks and ditches were added to the outside and a flanking bank placed alongside the eastern entrance.

Oswestry

Coordinates: 52°51′35″N 3°03′14″W / 52.8598°N 3.0538°W / 52.8598; -3.0538

Oswestry (/ˈɒzwəstri/; Welsh: Croesoswallt), one of the UK's oldest border settlements, is the largest market town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads.

The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of Oswestry until that was abolished under local government reorganisation with effect from 1 April 2009. Oswestry is the third largest town in Shropshire, following Telford and Shrewsbury. The 2011 Census recorded the population of the civil parish as 17,105, (up almost 10% from 15,613 in 2001), and the urban area as 16,660. The town is five miles (8 km) from the Anglo-Welsh border, and has a mixed Welsh and English heritage. It is the home of the Shropshire libraries' Welsh Collection.

Oswestry is the largest settlement within the Oswestry Uplands, a designated natural area and national character area.

History

It has also been known as, or recorded in historical documents as: Album Monasterium; Blancminster; Blankmouster; Blancmustier; Croes Oswald; Oswaldestre; Meresberie.

Borough of Oswestry

Coordinates: 52°51′36″N 3°03′14″W / 52.860°N 3.054°W / 52.860; -3.054

Oswestry was a small local government district with borough status in Shropshire, England. It was the smallest of the five districts of Shropshire in terms of both population and land area.

Its council was based in Oswestry, the only town and largest settlement in the borough. Villages in the borough included Morda, St Martin's, Whittington, Gobowen, Pant, Trefonen and Ruyton XI Towns.

The three most deprived wards in Shropshire (not including Telford and Wrekin) were found in Oswestry Borough. They are Victoria, Gatacre and Llanyblodwel.

The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was a direct successor to Oswestry Rural District.

The district and its council were abolished on 1 April 2009 when the new Shropshire unitary authority was established, as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England.

See also

Oswestry (UK Parliament constituency)

Oswestry is a United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983, when it was renamed North Shropshire. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post method of election.

Members of Parliament

Election results

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1910s

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939/40: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1970s

References