Homes plan protesters in Oswestry hill fort vigil
[gallery] Campaigners gathered on top of to retrace the footsteps of their ancestors – and highlight why they are against housing being built in the hill's shadow.
Lanterns, drums and the head of a unicorn were some of the items carried up to the top of Old Oswestry for a dawn vigil yesterday morning.
About 15 people joined the early morning procession organised by Hands Off Old Oswestry Hillfort, a group campaigning against proposals for housing development close to the 3,000- year-old Iron Age monument.
The vigil was to mark the Celtic celebration of Imbolc, also known as Candlemas or Brigid's Day, which falls between the winter solstice and spring equinox.
Campaigner Maggie Rowlands said she organised the gathering after discovering the sun would be seen rising over The Wrekin, another important hill fort.
Campaigner Kate Clarke, 50, of Chapel Street, Oswestry said: "If you think about the people who would have done this all that time ago, it's another example for the rich history of the hill fort."
Areas of land around the landmark have been put forward as potential development sites for housing under Shropshire Council's SAMDev planning process.
By Tom Morton
