Berry Ring (also known as Bury Ring) is an Iron Age hillfort in Staffordshire, England, lying some two miles southwest of the county town of Stafford, a mile to the southwest of Stafford Castle and half a mile to the west of the M6 motorway.

Berry Ring
A distant view of Berry Ring (left of picture), seen from Stafford Castle
Berry Ring is located in Staffordshire
Berry Ring
Shown within Staffordshire
Locationnear Stafford, Staffordshire
Coordinates52°47′16″N 2°10′07″W / 52.7879°N 2.1685°W / 52.7879; -2.1685
OS grid referenceSJ 887 212
TypeHillfort
Area3 hectares (7.4 acres)
History
PeriodsIron Age
Designated17 March 1926
Reference no.1013163

Description

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It is a univallate hillfort, roughly oval in shape, on the northern part of elevated land north of the village of Billington. The defences, following the contours of the ground, enclose an area of about 3 hectares (7.4 acres).[1]

The rampart is about 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) high in the south-east, elsewhere about 0.2 metres (7.9 in) high. The outer ditch is up to 18 metres (59 ft) wide and 4 to 4.7 metres (13 to 15 ft) deep. A counterscarp bank can be seen in the north, west and south, most clearly in the north-west where it is 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) high and 14 metres (46 ft) wide. The original entrance is thought to be in the south; its features are unclear because of sand and gravel extraction in recent times. There are other later entrances.[1]

 
3D view of the digital terrain model

There is a spring-fed pond within the fort at the north-east side. There have been chance finds around the interior of flints, Iron Age pottery and medieval pottery.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Historic England. "Berry Ring hillfort (1013163)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
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