The hillfort sits on top of a steep-sided hill, with the ground falling away most steeply to the south. Seen from Bryn Arw to the south. Pen-y-Gadair Fawr rises behind on the left, Hatterrall Hill on the right.
Images
Hostile conditions, but then it was February.
Looking (very roughly) north-west...
Poor conditions – but nothing remotely negative to say about the defences here... as the Mam C emphasises.
Looking across The Vale of Ewyas to the excellent promontory fort upon Hatterrall Hill... looming through the mist.
Twyn y Gaer in sunlight in front of a cloud-darkened Pen-y-Fal/Sugarloaf. The central cross-bank cutting the fort in two can be clearly seen. From Hatterrall Hill.
Seen from the ridge to the north, flanked by Ysgyryd Fawr and Pen-y-Fal/The Sugarloaf.
Seen from Trawellwyd from the east, the prominence of the hillfort is readily apparent.
Iron Age sword from Twn y Gaer, on display in the National Museum of Wales.
Twyn y Gaer (left of centre) seen from the north, along the ridge leading up to Garn Wen. Ysgyryd Fawr far left, Pen-y-Fal/The Sugarloaf on the right.
The NE corner of the fort.
Impressive earthworks at the NE corner of the fort.
The northern rampart, showing the curve at its eastern end. At the end of the ridge across the valley far left is Pen-Twyn camp.
Double rampart at the western end of the fort. Looking towards the Black Mountains peaks of Pen y Gadair Fawr (left) and Chwarel y Fan (right), with the top of Rhos Dirion peaking out in between.
The rampart at the SW corner of the fort. Looking west across the Grwyne Fawr valley towards Patrishow Hill.
The central bank, dividing the east and west parts of the fort.
At the southeastern corner of the fort, looking towards Pen-y-Fal (The Sugarloaf).
The ground falls away steeply on the south side of the fort, reducing the need for substantial earthwork defences. Ysgyrd Fawr (The Skirrid) is a prominent landmark on the right, with the shoulder of Bryn Arw in front of it.
Approaching Twyn y Gaer from the north.
Articles
Visited 21.8.11
My second and last site of the day.
This site proved to be the most difficult to access that I have experienced in quite a long time.
I headed west along some very minor roads from where I had parked when visiting the near by Pen-Twyn Camp (Crucorney). This leads up hill to the north of the Hillfort (through trees). There is a space to pull over opposite an old rusty field gate. You can actually see the Hillfort from the gate – up above the tree line.
Up and over the gate, across a field full of sheep and over a barbed wire fence on the opposite side – so far so good. Then the ‘fun’ began!
I then came to what appeared to be some sort of overgrown ‘orchard’ – although I have no idea what the red berries hanging from the trees are? When I say overgrown – I mean overgrown: bushes, brambles, ferns and (I kid you not) head height nettles!
It took quite a while to carefully make my way through the trees/nettles and eventually came out the other side. I was then confronted by my next ‘challenge’ – head height ferns! Although not as bad as head height nettles they were still tricky to walk through, particularly whilst going uphill. This really was hard going.
I then came out onto a path running north to south through the ferns which didn’t show on my O/S map. It could have all been so much easier!
It was then a case of the last leg up to the hilltop summit which was so steep I had to go on all fours to get to the top.
Finally, I reached the top, knackered and out of breath. Just as I was thinking ‘I must be mad’ I looked up and saw the view. In an instant it all became worthwhile – simply stunning.
The single rock cut ditch/rampart of the Hillfort was easy to spot, being about 2 metres high. The whole of the site was covered in ferns and the dreaded gorse.
All I had to do now is make my way back to the car………oh joy!
Despite the access problems I had, if you were able to come via the ‘path’ through the ferns it shouldn’t be too bad. It is worth the effort for the views alone although the Hillfort defences were pretty impressive.
Best to follow TSC’s directions for an easier life!
Walked up here from Llanfihangel Crucorney, home to the “Oldest Pub in Wales” if its sign is to be believed (4.6.2011). It’s a walk along winding country lanes, a bit more traffic than comfortable but nice and easy going. For those who wish to visit by car, take the narrow and steeply climbing lane that’s the first on the right after Stanton (opposite a pub and campsite), this leads up to a forestry parking place and the fort is a fairly short walk from there.
It’s worth at least walking along the lane from the forestry parking, as there are terrific views to be had to the north, taking in the central Black Mountains ridges and the village of Cwmyoy with its wonky church, through gaps in the foliage. Plus someone has built a little ‘stone circle’ (well, arc) thing near to Pen-Rhiw. On a hot day like my visit, the shady lane is a welcome break from the blazing sunshine too.
The approach to the camp is across the access land to its north. The northern rampart is immediately visible, protecting the fort on its naturally weakest side. Following the curve of the slope round to the eastern entrance, it’s here that the views really start to kick in. First of all the umistakable profile of Ysgyryd Fawr (The Skirrid), over to the southeast. Entering the fort at its eastern end and I’m presented with a beautiful vista, centred on Pen-y-Fal (The Sugarloaf).
The rampart is much less formidable on the southern side, understandable given how sharply the hillside drops away to the farmland below. It’s difficult to take my eyes off the view though. Before reaching the halfway point along the southern rampart, the fort is bisected by a bank dividing the eastern (higher) side from the western side. To the west the views keep on unfolding, taking in Crug Mawr, with the rounded summit of Pen Cerrig-calch just visible beyond. Then round to the northwest and the shapely summit of Pen-y-Gadair Fawr, clothed by the greenery of the Mynydd Du forest. Further NNW, the ridge of Chwarel y Fan, my ultimate objective for the day, seems a long way off.
Onto the rampart along the north, noting that two separate earthworks cross the centre of the fort. Approaching the eastern end, the rampart bulges outwards, following the natural line of the slope. The lush Vale of Ewyas (home to Llanthony Priory) provides a contrast to the exposed, steep-sided ridges on either side. Breathtaking.
The panoramic views all around, taking in much of the Black Mountains, belie the relatively modest height of the fort (although calling 427m a modest height depends on relative heights of the immediate surroundings!). Superbly sited, come on a clear and fine day to best appreciate its charms.
I head north, towards Garn Wen and then onwards and upwards to Chwarel y Fan.
Coflein description of this wonderfully situated fort:
Twn-y-Gaer Camp is a strongly embanked and ditched enclosure occupying the summit of an isolated and dramatic hill. It is an elongated oval in plan, roughly 226m by 84m, defined by a rampart with a ditch and counterscarp bank, except on the south where the hillslopes are at their steepest. There is a single inturned east-facing entrance. The interior is divided by two lines of east-facing ramparts and ditches, each with a central entrance.
Excavation, from 1965, showed that the more easterly subdivision was the eastern front of the earliest enclosure. This enclosed an area of roughly 0.7ha. A second phase saw the enclosure expanded to its full extent, enclosing an area of about 1.54ha. In the final phase the enclosure was reduced to the part west of the western, stone-revetted, subdivision, an area of roughly 0.4ha.
Finds included some pottery, including salt containers, iron and copper alloy objects, including brooches, glass beads, querns and iron working debris. The occupation producing this material had ended by the Roman period.
Source: Probert 1976 ‘Twyn-y-Gaer: an interim assessment’, in Wesh Antiquity (eds. Boon and Lewis), 105-19.
Glass beads from between the fourth and first centuries BC, which were probably made at the Meare Lake Village site in Somerset.
Sites within 20km of Twyn y Gaer (Crucorney)
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Ffynnon Ishow
photo 1 description 2 -
Three Springs, Hatterrall Hill
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Pen-Twyn Camp (Crucorney)
photo 22 description 2 -
Hatterrall Hill
photo 29 description 2 -
Disgwylfa
photo 8 description 2 -
Garn Wen (Crucorney)
photo 27 description 2 -
Mynydd Pen-y-Fal
photo 37 description 3 -
Graig-ddu, Black Mountains
photo 24 description 3 link 1 -
Ysgyryd Fawr
photo 29 description 7 link 1 -
Rhiw Arw
photo 13 description 1 -
Cwm Bwchel, Black Mountains
photo 22 description 3 -
Nant yr Ychen
photo 1 description 2 -
Walterstone Camp
photo 1 description 2 -
Longtown Stone Circle
description 1 -
Coed Ynys Faen
photo 7 description 3 -
Llangenny
photo 4 description 4 -
Wiral Cairn, Black Mountains
photo 22 description 1 -
Crug Hywel Camp
photo 41 description 3 -
Loxidge Tump, Black Mountains
photo 10 description 2 -
Llangenny Camp
photo 7 description 2 -
Black Darren
photo 25 description 2 -
Pen Cerrig-Calch
photo 34 description 1 -
The Growing Stone
photo 18 forum 1 description 7 -
Standard Street
photo 7 description 2 -
Maen Llwyd (Llanddewi Skirrid)
description 1 -
Darren (Crickhowell)
photo 6 description 1 -
Gwernvale
photo 29 forum 1 description 9 link 1 -
Maen Llwyd (Twyn Du)
photo 25 description 4 -
Pen Twyn Glas, Black Mountains
photo 6 description 2 -
Pen Allt-Mawr
photo 29 description 1 -
Garn Goch (Llangatwg)
photo 14 description 5 -
Pen Gloch-y-pibwr
photo 12 description 1 -
Pen y Gadair Fawr
photo 25 description 3 -
Llanveynoe Crucifix Stone
description 1 -
Crug-y-Gaer
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Bedd y Gwr Hir
description 2 -
Carn Blorenge
photo 33 description 3 -
Penffawyddog
description 1 -
Ogof Darren Cilau cave
description 1 -
Mynydd Llysiau, Black Mountains
photo 3 description 1 -
Waun Cryn
description 1 -
The Fish Stone
photo 13 forum 2 description 6 -
The Tretower Stone
photo 10 description 2 -
Coed Pentwyn
description 1 -
Twr Pen-cyrn Circle
photo 4 description 2 -
Twr Pen-cyrn cairns
photo 23 description 5 -
Eglwys Faen
photo 6 description 3 -
Pen Tir
photo 5 description 1 -
Carreg Maen Taro
photo 9 description 5 -
Coed y Gaer
photo 9 description 2 link 1 -
Mynydd Pen-cyrn
photo 10 description 5 -
Pen Trumau, Black Mountains
photo 20 -
Carn-y-Defaid
photo 25 description 4 -
Nant Bwch
photo 2 forum 1 description 1 -
Mynydd Troed cairn
photo 14 description 2 -
Mynydd Llangatwg
photo 5 forum 1 description 1 -
Parkwood
description 1 -
Ty Isaf
photo 7 forum 1 description 3 link 1 -
Blaneau-draw
photo 10 description 1 -
Duke’s Farm
description 1 -
Mynydd Llangorse
photo 8 description 1 -
Cefn Moel
photo 3 description 1 -
Blaen-y-Cwm Uchaf
photo 3 description 1 -
Carreg Waun Llech
photo 14 description 3 -
Llangynidr Stone
photo 7 description 2 -
Ffynnon Las I
photo 2 description 1 -
Pen-yr-Heol Las
photo 6 description 1 -
Bwlch Bach a’r Grib
photo 20 description 2 -
Bwlch Cairn
photo 8 description 3 -
Mynydd Bychan
photo 19 description 3 -
Caeau Enclosure, Cockit Hill
photo 3 description 1 -
Cwalca Cairnfield
photo 7 description 3 -
Castell Dinas
photo 33 description 3 -
Cwm Shelkin
photo 8 description 1 -
Y Das
photo 12 description 3 -
Bwlch Standing Stone
photo 9 description 2 -
Mynydd Llangorse promontory fort
photo 20 description 2 -
Mynydd Troed
photo 16 description 4 -
Wern Frank Wood
photo 12 description 1 -
Ty-Canol
description 2 -
Garway Hill
photo 13 description 3 link 1 -
Llan Oleu
photo 3 description 1 -
Wern Derys
photo 16 description 4 -
Dunseal
photo 6 description 2 -
Pen-y-Beacon
photo 27 description 3 link 1 -
Parc-y-Meirch
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Pen-y-Beacon
photo 39 description 5 -
Cefn Hill
photo 1 description 1 -
Carreg Wen Fawr Y Rugos
photo 14 description 4 -
Coed y Bwnydd
description 2 -
Pant Llwyd
photo 14 description 3 -
Mynydd Carn-y-cefn
photo 9 description 2 -
Allt yr Esgair
photo 18 description 1 -
Gold Post
description 1 -
Camp Hill
description 1 -
Poston Camp
description 1 -
Garn Caws
photo 14 description 3 -
Penyrwrlodd
photo 19 description 3 link 1 -
Ffostyll
photo 33 forum 1 description 4 -
Talgarth Camp
photo 1 -
Timberline Camp
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Twyn-y-Beddau
photo 11 description 4 -
Gilestone
description 3 -
Middle Hendre
description 2 -
Mynydd Brith
photo 5 description 3 -
Tump Wood Camp
photo 14 description 1 -
Nant-y-Wern
description 1 -
Garn Fawr (Llangynidr)
photo 16 description 2 -
Twyn Bryn March
description 1 -
Bryn y Groes
photo 1 description 1 -
Pen-y-Wyrlod
photo 22 forum 1 description 4 -
Y Domen Fawr
photo 7 description 2 -
Little Lodge
photo 22 description 4 -
Coed-y-Polyn
photo 8 description 1 -
Campswood Hill
description 2