Corbet Wood Survey 2008

An archaeological survey of Corbet Wood and Grinshill

Grinshill

Grinshill is located in north Shropshire, about 11kms north of Shrewsbury town centre. The hill consists of an outcrop of Triassic sandstone capped with Keuper Marl. Some of the sandstone has been altered by volcanic activity to produce a hard-wearing but easily worked freestone, known as Grinshill Stone. The geology of the hill has been exploited for this high quality building stone for hundreds of years. Most of the quarries have been abandoned since the early 20th century, but the site is used daily by many local people for quiet recreation and by those interested in geology, archaeology, the history of the quarries, wildlife and nature conservation.

The Grinshill Heritage Project

The Grinshill Heritage Project was established by the Clive and Grinshill Conservation Group in partnership with Shropshire Council (formerly Shropshire County Council) with funding from the Local Heritage Initiative and the Nationwide Building Society. The project aimed to record, protect and interpret the biological, archaeological and historical features on Grinshill Hill and make these features more accessible. The project also seeks to restore and maintain the former views of the Shropshire landscape from the summit by managing the woodland there.

The archaeological survey

One of the tasks of the project was to conduct an archaeological survey on the hill. The Archaeology Service, Shropshire Council undertook this survey on behalf of the project in the winter of 2008/2009.

The survey recorded a total of 135 features, mainly associated with post-medieval quarrying on the hill. A number of ruined cottages or settlement sites – probably quarrymen’s cottages – were also noted.