Youngsters help preserve Iron Age fort

YOUNG volunteers from Rotherham have been carrying out vital work to help preserve an ancient monument.

Nine youngsters have been removing young trees from Caesar's Camp, the Iron Age fort set in the centre of Scholes Coppice, an award-winning ancient woodland managed by Rotherham Borough Council.

The environmentally-friendly young people are part of Vinvolved–a Government-led initiative set up to inspire more youngsters to volunteer across the country.

In Rotherham, the youngsters make up the Youth Action Team, which is managed by the Rotherham Volunteer Centre.

The Youth Action Team promotes volunteering among young people across the borough and act as advocates for young people, aged from 16 to 25.

A spokesman for the project said: "Caesar's Camp is an Iron Age Fort dating from around 350 BC.

"A scheduled monument, it consists of an earthen bank between two and five metres high and is up to 15 metres wide in places.

"The banks were constructed using layers of stone on compressed clay and is enclosed by a large external ditch.

"The volunteers spent a day removing young trees from the site to prevent irreparable damage being done to the monument.

"Tree roots growing directly on top of the monument could cause damage to the structure and this work will help to protect the monument for generations to come."

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