The remains of the ancient eastern entrance into Sutton Walls hillfort gives walkers and visitors a glimpse into what would once have been an impressive gateway into a fortified settlement in Iron Age and Roman times, about double the size that is seen today, and with a wooden palisade on the top.

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In order to protect the remaining archaeology at the eastern entrance, funding was secured in 2021 from Historic England to clear the scrub and some of the trees, exposing the ramparts as they would have been for most of their existence, and to put up barrier fencing to discourage burrowing animals. 

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It's only relatively recently in the Walls’ 2000 year history that tree growth has taken over. With this section of the ramparts now cleared it gives an opportunity to enhance the biodiversity on the site. Wildflower seeds that have lain dormant for years, shaded out by the trees and scrub, can grow once more and provide a new habitat for countless pollinators, birds and other invertebrates.
 
A professional ecologist’s report in 2021 documented the numbers and distribution of key mammal species, and with this information a safe way to re-accommodate the burrowing animals outside the entrance zone was established, in accordance with all wildlife protection legislation.  Fencing was gradually erected to exclude the burrowing animals which might otherwise continue to damage the ramparts. There’s plenty of space across the rest of the site for them to resettle. Without the burrowers, the ramparts are better protected from an archaeological point of view, and an ecologically more varied habitat may also be created.

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Using low impact equipment, contractors with proven experience of working within sites of special scientific interest (SSIs and special wildlife sites (SWSs) undertook the work of clearance, felling and fencing. Throughout the work schedule, oversight of the project was managed by professional ecologists and an archaeologist, with overall management by the SWCG.

 
Sutton Walls Conservation Group are grateful to Historic England for providing funding and advice for this Ancient Scheduled Monument. They are also grateful to the Herefordshire Community Foundation and Sutton Parish Council for providing funding to create and install two public information boards.