All Round the Wrekin - The Hillfort

The Cornovii

The main phase of occupation appears to have been in the 400 years leading up to the Roman Invasion, when The Wrekin may have been the principal hillfort of the Celtic Cornovii tribe, whose kingdom stretched from The Wirral to South Shropshire. It is likely that the tribe derived much of its wealth from agriculture and evidence suggests that most of the population of the Cornovii kingdom resided in farmsteads scattered across the Severn Valley rather than being confined to the hill itself. It could be that The Cornovii viewed their hillforts as an indication to others of tribal status and The Wrekin may only have been occupied seasonally or at times of great danger for the tribe. The hillforts of the Cornovii probably had a number of uses and some also served as cattle stockades, while others appear to have had a religious function.