Visited 11.12.11
Directions: close to a minor road off the A5 – south east of the village of Cerrigydrudion.
Pretty much opposite Pen-Y-Gaer Farm.
The minor road running past the farm is very narrow with nowhere to park. Karen sat in the car at the farm entrance and I promised to be quick as she was blocking the road.
The ramparts of the Hillfort can be easily seen from the road. I of course wanted a closer look so I hopped over the barbed wire fence, squelched across the muddy field and headed uphill.
I only had time to explore the southern section of the Hillfort and the single ditch/rampart was in pretty good condition. The rampart still stood in places 3 metres high from the bottom of the ditch and 1 metre high from the inside of the Hillfort. Part of the rampart is covered in the dreaded gorse.
The weather was misty with drizzle in the air. On a sunny day I am sure the views would be marvellous.
Well worth a visit although it would probably be best if you asked permission first at the farm as there is no public right of way.
COFLEIN has this to say:
‘Caer Caradog is a later prehistoric Hillfort crowning an isolated mountain spur overlooking the Cerrigydrudion valley basin. The Hillfort is an irregular oval enclosure defined by a massive rampart and ditch with a counterscarp bank beyond. The rampart still rises some 6 metres above the base of the ditch. Excavation showed it to be a simple dump construction. There is an entrance to the east facing along the saddle connecting the spur to the main massif of Y Drum. The enclosure is about 166m east-west with an area of 1.7ha. Excavations failed to identify any structures apart from the ramparts: notably no trace of a gate was recorded. This gave rise to doubts about the identification of the Caer as a Hillfort as such. However, it is possible that any features present were missed’.