A Hike up Haughmond Hill

There are several prehistoric earthworks (before AD 43) around Haughmond Hill.

Queen Eleanor's Bower

The most well known earthwork is Queen Eleanor's Bower. The rampart walls contain both local and non-local stone. The usual way of building a rampart was to dig a ditch and 'throw-up' a bank using the excavated material. However, the walls of the Queen Eleanor's Bower contain fragments of red and cream sandstone that did not come from the site.  This may suggest that there was an earlier structure on the site that was reused in building the fort.

What else is at Queen Eleanor's Bower?

Another feature at Queen Eleanor's Bower is that part of one rampart has been vitrified, which means that it was fused together by intense heat. Several Scottish hillforts are known to have vitrified walls. It is likely that this 'firing' was intentional and intended to make the walls stronger. It may also be that the fire at the Bower was the result of iron smelting. It has been suggested that a make-shift furnace was built against the rampart. An artificial cave nearby has been proposed as a limestone quarry. Limestone was used as a flux in iron smelting, which means that it helps lower the temperature needed to melt the Ironston.

A Roman Marching Camp near Haughmond

To the south west of Haughmond Hill was a large Roman marching camp or temporary fort. Aerial photographs taken in 1976 showed a large crop mark similar in form to other marching camps. The fort of earth and turf banks with a timber palisade would have been built in a single day. The fort may have been located to control the native hillforts on Haughmond Hill.

The Abbey

The 12th century Abbey of Haughmond lies on the lower ground at the southern end of the hill.

The Abbey was used until 1539 when it was partially demolished on the orders of Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Its Canons

The Abbey was founded around AD 1130 and dedicated to St John. By 1155 there were 24 Canons living at the Abbey. The Canons were allowed more freedom that traditional monks of other orders. In this way the local community benefited from the cultural knowledge of the Canons.

During its lifespan the Abbey acquired lands and property spread widely across the county and beyond. The Canons set up a series of farms, or granges, in order to supply `the Abbey with produce. They also supplied local people and exported goods abroad.