Retrospective view of Craig-yr-Aderyn’s amazing profile, centre, from the road to Bryncrug to the southwest. The fort occupies the lower summit on the left, the cairn is on the higher summit on the right. The crag enclosure tops the smaller crag in between the two summits.
Northeastern rampart.
The well-preserved northeastern rampart. Tarrenhendre is the conical summit on the left skyline.
Looking southwest along the Dysynni valley towards the coast. The prominent hill in the distance just to the right of centre is Tal-y-Garreg, with two forts of its own.
Looking northeast along the Dysynni valley towards the wonderful peaks of Cadair Idris.
Looking over the ramparts towards the summit of the hill, surmounted by cairn, with the crag enclosure in front of it.
Remains of stone ramparts.
Through the door of the birds, where the breeze breaks...
The fort from the southeast. The stone ramparts can be seen around the base of the conical summit.
I swear one could sit here all day. No, really.
Looking across some notable defences to the crag-top cairn rising beyond the ‘crag top enclosure’.... note the curious quartzite bands.
Looking from the great cairn to the approx south-east....
Returning after a decade or so specifically to see the nearby cairn and enclosure.... it would’ve been rude not to stop off again to enjoy surely one of the finest hillfort views in all Wales. The central summits of Cadair Idris can be seen rising above the enigmatic Castell-y-Bere.
Image Credit: Natural Resources Wales
I was quite unprepared for the exquisite beauty to be enjoyed here, looking toward Cadair Idris. Which is how life should be, I guess. The site is particularly recommended for those who may be unsure about visiting monuments upon the high hills/mountains... and naturally want to see what it’s like before taking the plunge.
None shall pass.... one wonders if any actually did – in anger, that is?
The Tarrens crown the skyline, Tarrenhendre featuring a few ancient monuments of its own. Note the main defensive work... well, not really a ‘wall’ any more.. approx centre of image.
Looking approx south west along Dyffryn Dysynni towards Tywyn and the sea.
Main rampart, looking approx north across Dyffryn Dysynni towards the western flanks of Cadair Idris..... apparently once marsh. What an awesome location!
Looking along what I believe to be an additional outer rampart.... with inserted sheepfolds. Oh, and a rainbow.
OK... it’s a drystone wall. But a very old one designed to keep things out, not in.
Looking toward the central peaks of Cadair Idris. Note... rucksack not included when you visit. That’ll be yours in frame.
Looking approx south-west
Excellent defences protect the only feasible approach...
Clearly the main entrance. I was reminded of the wondrous Mither Tap .... and the fact that, in my opinion, Craig yr Aderyn sits easily in that company says all there is to say. To be honest, I reckon the landscape is actually superior.
Looking approx north-east, Cadair Idris dominates the spell binding scene – surely the finest I’ve seen from any hill fort anywhere in the UK – filling both the head and entire left flank of the valley. Note Craig-y-Llyn, top left, bearing one of the massif’s limited number (for Wales) of Bronze Age cairns. Craig yr Aderyn’s drystone defensive ramparts can be seen bottom right of image. Note also Castell y Bere, of native Welsh origin, within the far ‘jaws’ of the cwm.
Sunburst upon the crags as Cadair Idris fills the skyline....
Close-up of the enigmatic site from Allt-llwyd across Dyffryn Dysynni.
Approaching from the east.... the only non-suicidal direction for the aggressive warrior, perhaps?
Apt
Craig-yr-Aderyn, seen from the summit of Cadair Idris.
The northern flank of the ‘fort. No need for any artificial defences here, you might say? I assume this is where those lovely birdies nest?
From on Cader Idris
The main (only?) entrance.
Looking north towards Cadair Idris’s western ridge.
I sacrificed a day of rare good weather for this visit. Worth it?
From the road a little to the south west.
From Castell y Bere on zoom.
For the last eight hundred years Castell y Bere has kept watch over the valley, but before the Norman invasion it was Craig yr Aderyn that kept watch for over a thousand years.
From on the lower slopes to the northeast we could see the tumbled stone walls.
A close up of the iron age defenses.
Towards the dramatic profile of Craig yr Aderyn from the native Welsh fortress of Castell-y-Bere.
“A-well-a everybody’s heard about the bird”....
Ive yet to have the pleasure of a full scale visit up Birds rock, but after looking at the aerial views taken by Coflein and provided by the sweetcheat, there arent many things I’d rather do. Instead of a few mild earthworks there are tumbled stone walls, much more interesting..... in a sad kind of way.
The rock dominates the entire valley much more so than the Norman castle to the northest, and acts as an appetiser for the bigger mountains, that seem to crowd in close to look down on the valley, but the true king of the area is the otherwordly Cadair Idris.
Craig y Deryn (Craig Aderyn) is a most picturesque and lofty rock, about three or four miles up the vale of the Dysynni. It is so called (the bird’s rock) from the numerous birds which nightly retire among its crevices: the noise they make at nightfall is most hideously dissonant, and as the scenery around is extremely wild and romantic, the ideas engendered by such a clamour in the gloom of evening, and in so dismal and desolate a spot, are not the most soothing or agreeable. Towards twilight some large aquatic fowls, from the neighbouring marsh, may be seen majestically “wending their way” to this their place of nocturnal rest.
By which I think he meant it had him scared half to death. From ‘The History of North Wales’ v2, by William Cathrall (1828).
Apart from the hillfort, Craig-yr-Aderyn (Bird Rock) is famous as a nesting place for cormorants, despite now being about 6 miles from the sea.
It also plays a prominent role in “The Grey King” by Susan Cooper.
Description of the hillfort.
