Fort to return to glory days (From Stroud News and Journal)

Fort to return to glory days

A YEAR-long project to restore and preserve an Iron Age hill fort on the Painswick Beacon is nearing completion.

The £80,000 initiative involved repairs to the ancient ramparts at Kimsbury Camp and new measures to reduce erosion caused by walkers and history-lovers.

Built sometime between 400 and 100BC, the fort is considered to be nationally important by archaeologists and the limestone grassland is a haven for rare orchids and butterflies.

"The work is extremely important," said county archaeologist Jan Wills.

"Painswick is so well-visited by walkers, the local community and people who come to see the fantastic views that the pressure of visitors' feet has literally worn away the ramparts.

"The state of the site has been a concern for some time but it is only when the funding comes together that you have the chance to do something about it."

The work was led by county archaeologists and was largely funded by national bodies like the Heritage Lottery fund, who contributed £50,000, English Heritage and English Nature.

Local bodies, chiefly the Painswick Beacon Conservation Group, was heavily involved in getting the project started. Group secretary Cedric Nielsen said: "It was almost at the point where if someone gave it a good push it would all fall down.

"This means people will be able to see the view and enjoy the fort but hopefully we are managing the erosion and making a better job of it."

Roger Martin from the Heritage Lottery Fund added: "This project pushed all our buttons.

"It is primary conservation of a nationally important monument but also a way to create a lot of public enjoyment.

"It means people can actually come up here and appreciate how lucky they are to have this kind if thing left."

The work, which will include information boards about the site's history and wildlife, is expected to be completed in a month's time.