Local residents are being given the opportunity to get involved in a project to help preserve Worlebury Hillfort in Weston-super-Mare.

Volunteer members of the Worlebury Hillfort Group have been working hard over the last two years clearing vegetation from the site, resulting in opening up new areas of the hillfort for visitors to see.

These volunteers have recently taken on a new project to dismantle the large cairn and playforts that have been illegally constructed out of material from the hillfort and more help is needed with this work.

As the Iron Age hillfort is a scheduled monument, the work can only be undertaken with special permission from Historic England and the Secretary of State.

It’s a criminal offence under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 to carry out unauthorised works, or to allow unauthorised works to be carried out, on a scheduled monument.

The recent archaeological condition survey of the hillfort highlights several instances of unlawful damage to the monument, including the removal of stones to create a modern cairn.

North Somerset Council manages the hillfort and has gained Scheduled Monument Consent to dismantle these unlawful features. It is now asking local residents for help in carrying out this work.

If you would like to volunteer contact the council’s archaeologist Cat Lodge at dm.archaeology@n-somerset.gov.uk or on 01934 888 811.