View source for Castle Ring

{{Short description|Iron Age hillfort in United Kingdom}}
{{for|the castle in West Sussex|Edburton Castle Ring}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{no footnotes|date=March 2013}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Castle Ring
| photo = Castle Ring.jpg
| photo_caption = 
| elevation_m = 242
| elevation_ref = 
| prominence = 
| listing = 
| location = [[Staffordshire]], [[England]]
| range = [[Cannock Chase]]
| coordinates = 
| grid_ref_UK = SK044128
| topo = [[Ordnance Survey|OS]] ''Landranger'' 128
}}

'''Castle Ring''' is an [[Iron Age]] [[hill fort]], situated high up on the southern edge of [[Cannock Chase]] (The Chase), [[Staffordshire]], England.

It is the highest point on The Chase with an elevation of {{convert|242|m}}.
[[File:Castle Ring Digital Terrain Model.jpg|thumb|3D view of the digital terrain model]]
It is near the village of [[Cannock Wood]], south of [[Rugeley]] and north of [[Burntwood]], adjacent to the [[Heart of England Way]]. There are excellent views over The Chase, the [[River Trent|Trent Valley]] and Staffordshire more generally.

The public are free to walk around it as there is a path.

==History==
Castle Ring is thought to have first been occupied {{ca}} 500{{nbsp}}[[BCE]] by an [[Britons|Ancient British]] (Celtic) tribe named the [[Cornovii (Midlands)|Cornovii]]. It was abandoned {{ca}} 43{{nbsp}}[[Common Era|CE]] as a consequence of Romans occupying the area.<ref name="ccdc">{{cite web |url= https://www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/residents/leisure/parks-open-spaces/nature-reserves/castle-ring-scheduled-ancient-monument |title=Castle Ring Scheduled Ancient Monument  |date=2023-07-20  |publisher=Cannock Chase Council |access-date=2023-12-08}}</ref>

Apart from perimeter earthworks, little remains visible. Parts of the ground in the ring appear to have been ploughed, but there is no consensus as to whether this was carried out in prehistoric times, or in the medieval period, when a hunting lodge was also built in the ring.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} The remains of this lodge are still visible.<ref name="ccdc" />

==See also==
*[[List of hill forts in England]]
*[[List of hill forts in Scotland]]
*[[List of hill forts in Wales]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:CastleRing2.JPG|thumb|300px|left|View to the North East showing Upper Longdon]] -->
* [https://www.pegasusarchive.org/ancientbritain/castle_ring.htm Ancient Britain - Castle Ring]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040229232727/http://www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/cannockchase/castlering.htm District Council Web Site]
* [https://www.heartofenglandway.org Web site of Heart of England Way Association]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051030163012/http://www.roman-britain.org/places/celtic/castle_ring.htm roman-britain.org page]
* [http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=4982&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 From 'The Megalith Map']
* {{oscoor gbx|SK045128}}

{{Iron Age hillforts in England}}

{{coord|52.71284|N|1.93483|W|region:GB_source:enwiki-osgb36(SK045128)|display=title}}<!-- Note: WGS84 lat/long, converted from OSGB36 grid ref -->

[[Category:Hill forts in Staffordshire]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Staffordshire]]
[[Category:Hills of Staffordshire]]
[[Category:Cannock Chase]]


{{England-hist-stub}}