Our starting point was Titterstone Quarry, just below the summit. There is much evidence of former buildings together with the quarrying scars in the rock face. Interestingly, despite all the quarrying over the decades, the profile of the summit of Clee Hill has always had to be maintained and comparison with photographs in A. E. Jenkins' book on Titterstone shows how much activity once took place and how recent landscaping must have covered the scars. It is hard to imagine that there were once hundreds of men employed at this quarry in the mid-19th century and even harder on a day like we had, to envisage the harsh conditions which they must have endured at this exposed spot.

The quarry was a source of Dhu Stone (Dolerite) which was used for road stone, and a reputation was gained for their "setts" - rectangular blocks of stone used for tramway work, and chanelling and paving for roads and footways. However the market for the Dhu Stone declined beccause it was found that over time it became polished and thus slippery.

We then took a short stroll to the summit of Clee Hill where, adjacent to the radar station compound, are earthworks thought to be part of a hill fort. Down the slope of the ramparts lie irregular shaped stones believed to have formed part of its construction.

© 2008 Bob Ruffle	Abdon Burf

Following a drive to the Nordy Bank Iron Age Hill Fort near Clee St Margaret, we took our picnic lunches before viewing the almost-complete earthworks (right).

The next stop, Heath Chapel, was about a mile away. Built in the 12th century, it was renovated in 1912 and can hardly have changed since. The doorway is a typical Norman Arch with a weathered timber door fixed with two large hinges reckoned to be from the Norman period. The chapel is not brightly lit, the windows being small and high; however on the south wall of the nave one can vaguely make out a picture of St George.

Outside once more, to the north of the chapel, we viewed the lumps and bumps that were once part of a mediaeval village.

The above is an edited version of the full report written for the SWAG June 2008 newsletter by Nils Wilkes. Thanks also to Dennis Williams and Bob Ruffle for the photographs.