Castle Hill Preliminary Archaeological Excavations in 1961 as seen from the Church Tower Photo: Colin Wootton
Chairman of the Castle Green Management Committee, Martin Sirot-Smith, reported to the Annual Parish Meeting on 4th April 2019 as follows:
“As you may have read, the Parish Council has purchased the Castle Hill site, thus bringing the whole of the Scheduled Ancient Monument into public ownership. It has been included into the Committee’s remit to manage it alongside Castle Green itself.
Our first task is to secure the fencing around the site. We will be getting in touch with all those whose properties border Castle Hill to ask for their co-operation. We will need to cut back all overhanging trees and branches, and then repair, or indeed, replace the post and rail fencing as necessary.
We will be looking at the trees on Castle Hill itself, removing all the elder and the small sycamore saplings, as well as raising the crown of the mature specimens.
We propose to continue the present system of grazing the pasture in season. We will have notices in place to inform visitors of their responsibilities when animals are present.
Once all the work has been completed we intend to hold a Celebratory Fair. This will probably take place in mid-Summer 2020. This will again, like the Michaelmas Fair did last year, involve many of the village organisations, and will enable us to showcase the value and importance of this historically important site.
May I take this opportunity to thank again those organisations and individuals who contributed to and supported our fund raising appeal last year. It is great credit to one and all that target was achieved so quickly.
We now have an amenity that not only enhances our village immensely, but ensures the proper management of this most important historical site.”
Martin Sirot-Smith, Chairman, Castle Green Management Committee