Castle Ring

Castle Ring is a multivallate Iron Age hillfort on the southern edge of Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, occupying the highest point at 242 metres elevation. Dating from approximately 500 BC, it was likely built by a local Celtic tribe and abandoned around 43 AD following Roman conquest of the area. The 9-acre fort is defended by two banks and ditches, with a counterscarp bank on the north and west sides, multiple defences to the south-east, and an inturned entrance on the eastern side. It is the best-preserved of eight Iron Age hillforts in Staffordshire. Earthwork remains of a medieval hunting lodge survive within the enclosure, built when Cannock Chase served as a royal hunting ground. The site is a scheduled monument and holds Green Flag Heritage status.