Tree felling plan to protect Nesscliffe Hillfort site

Image source, Shropshire Council

Image caption, Consent is being sought to fell trees at Nesscliffe Hillfort

Permission is being sought to start more tree felling at an ancient monument site.

The majority of trees at Nesscliffe Hillfort in Shropshire would be removed under council plans.

The western edge of the hillfort suffered severe damage during heavy winds in 2017.

As a result, a number of trees began falling, damaging the archaeology of the hillfort, and became a danger to the public, the council stated.

This required "immediate action to begin felling those trees remaining before they collapsed".

Consent is now being sought from Historic England, the public body that looks after England's historic environment, to begin a second phase of felling this autumn.

The money raised from the sale of the timber will be used to protect the archaeology from further damage.

In the long term, the hillfort would be returned to heathland and the emergence of heather was already visible, the council said.

The site, along with much of Nesscliffe Hill and Hopton Hill, was planted up with trees throughout the 20th Century.

All operations follow a woodland management plan for Nesscliffe Hill and would continue for the next 10 years, as "the woodlands are sensitively thinned to ensure the diversity of tree species present is given the best chance to flourish", the council added.

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