Roundton Hill is a rounded, steep sided, hill, volcanic in origin, in the easternmost part of old

Montgomeryshire Montgomeryshire, also known as ''Maldwyn'' ( cy, Sir Drefaldwyn meaning "the Shire of Baldwin's town"), is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It is named after its county tow ...

(in present day-

Powys Powys (; ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh succession of states, successor state, petty kingdom and princi ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, which juts into the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

border near

Church Stoke Churchstoke or Church Stoke ( cy, Yr Ystog) is a village, community and electoral ward in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales. Located in the southeast of the Vale of Montgomery, it is overlooked by Todleth Hill, Roundton Hill and Corndon Hill. The ...

. It is managed as a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

by the

Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust (Welsh: ''Ymddiriedolaeth Natur Maldwyn'') is one of six wildlife trusts in Wales. It covers the vice-county of Montgomeryshire. and is based in Welshpool. As at 2013 the trust had 20 reserves. They include: * Cors ...

, who acquired it in 1985.

Archaeology

There was once an

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

hillfort A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...

here. The vantage point offers views across the surrounding countryside, with views of

Corndon Hill Corndon Hill ( cy, Cornatyn) is a hill in Powys, Mid Wales, whose isolated summit rises to 1,683 ft above sea level. It is surrounded on three sides by the English county of Shropshire and forms a prominent landmark in the Wales-England ...

to the north, as well as the

Cambrian Mountains The Cambrian Mountains ( cy, Mynyddoedd Cambria, in a narrower sense: ''Elenydd'') are a series of mountain ranges in Wales. The term ''Cambrian Mountains'' used to apply to most of the upland of Wales. Since the 1950s, its application has becom ...

to the west.

Lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

and Barytes mines run into the hill, and are today used as a roost by

Horseshoe A horseshoe is a fabricated product designed to protect a horse hoof from wear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface (ground side) of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall that is anatomically akin to the human toen ...

and Daubenton's bats. Having avoided the plough, the hill's steep rocky slopes still support plants such as the

mountain pansy ''Viola lutea'', the mountain pansy, is a species of violet that grows in Europe, from the British Isles to the Balkans. Description ''Viola lutea'' grows to a height of around . Its flowers are in diameter, and are typically yellow, although ...

, which has long since disappeared from most of the hills in mid-Wales. The reserve was made a

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...

(SSSI) in 1986.

References

Hillforts in Powys Mountains and hills of Powys Nature reserves in Wales Volcanism of Wales Iron Age Britain Extinct volcanism Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1986 {{Powys-geo-stub

Archaeology

See also

References