Archaeologists have uncovered what could be the remains of an ancient Iron Age hill fort in the Black Country (West Midlands, England). The exciting find was made during a dig on behalf of the Black Country Housing Group and a group of eager schoolchildren were on hand to witness it. The land has been earmarked by the group and the church for 35 apartments. BCHG commissioned the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust to carry out an archaeological survey on the site before the development work starts.
     Sharon Fereday, development manager with BCHG, said: "This is potentially a very exciting find, not just for Wednesbury but for the wider West Midlands. We are thrilled that the school children were able to see the dig in action. The archaeologists will continue to work on the site and trace its history. Once all the evidence has been recorded and analysed and the ground re-landscaped, BCHG will submit a planning application for the development of the site."
     Trust archaeologist Anna Wallis said: "It has long been thought that an Iron Age hill fort was located on this site in Wednesbury but no firm evidence has ever been found to support this. We will now try and use dating evidence to analyse whether what we have found confirms the fort's existence."

Source: Birmingham Mail (15 November 2008)