Point of volunteers' work now revealed (From Gazette Series)

Point of volunteers' work now revealed

FOLLOWING a decade of scrub clearing at the upland Village Green, hillsides and The Point at Drakestone by local conservation volunteers, the mysterious series of ditches and platforms have re-emerged. This outstanding promontory with panoramic commanding views of the Berkeley Vale and landscape to the South West, features in early writings on defensive positions and local castles; particularly by Roger de Berkeley, a nobleman, at the court of William the Conqueror.

Due to this success, there has been a preliminary scientific survey of The Point plus some of the narrow summit extending towards the well-known Ordinance Survey pillar and the Golf Club high tees.

Although a Scheduled Monument (no 64) accredited mainly as a Roman Signal Station, the unusual features were generally assumed to be mainly of natural weathering, which resulted in long abandonment to scrub encroachment and tree root damage.

However, a number of features show signs of excavation or structured cutting into the limestone mantle. This includes the five main ditches and two platforms capable of holding a stockade. Of interest are signs of artificial steepening to areas of the Point hillsides for defence, and the high quality polished flint axe head found on the South side in 1881 and exhibited at the British Museum. The overall picture is complicated by military activity through the Middle Ages and later annual manoeuvres by the Gloucestershire Yeomanry plus tales of both World War practice gun platforms. Cannons are also reputed to have been hauled to the Point and fired, probably as defiance, towards Berkeley Castle. A recently commissioned preliminary scientific survey of The Point will be available in summary in the near future.

The Dursley Festival guided walking tours of the conservation and viewpoints on Sunday, July 10 at 10.30am and 2.30pm will include the Point, and the flint axe head can be seen.