Lordenshaw Hillfort

If you have ever galivanted up the Simonside Hills in Rothbury, then I bet you have also visited Lordenshaw Hillfort which sits across the road.

When visiting on foot it's difficult to see what all the fuss is about as it's just some grooves in the ground and a couple of scattered rocks.

But if you get your stilts on or head up in a hot air balloon then you get a totally different perspective.

What an absolute glorious view! We know you want a little video flyover too, so here goes.

Inside the hillfort, there are the remains of several round houses, as well as a number of cup and ring marked stones. Cup and ring marks are prehistoric petroglyphs that consist of cups (hollows) and rings (concentric grooves) carved into rocks. The significance of cup and ring marks is unknown, but they are thought to have been created by Neolithic and Bronze Age people for ritual or ceremonial purposes.

Here is Main Rock with its cup and ring marks.

Here are some additional facts about Lordenshaw Hillfort:

• The hillfort is thought to have been occupied by a community of around 100 people.
• The hillfort was built to protect the community from attack.
• The hillfort was abandoned around 1,000 years ago.
• The hillfort was excavated in the 19th century, but much of it remains unexcavated.

Once you are done, head up on to the Simonside Hills for great views over Lordenshaw Hillfort and Garleigh Moor trig point.