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Image of Caer’ Bryn (Hillfort) by juamei

Image Credit: Natural Resources Wales

Image credit: LiDAR Composite Dataset. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v2.0.

Articles

Caer’ Bryn

New boots, new car, new hill fort.
I saw this on the map once but all it was described as was enclosure, I secretly hoped it was a henge, it looked very circular on google earth, it was still a long shot for sure, coflein crushed my hopes and gave me something to go for at the same time, it wasn’t a henge, but it was a defended enclosure or hill fort. I like hill forts, especially ones in North Wales.
Coflein describe it thus.....Remains of a large Iron Age defended enclosure, comprising a double banked sub-circular enclosure, c.76m in diameter, c.114m overall diameter. Probably ploughed-out on the east side leaving the semicircular earthworks which survive today.
We parked at the south west of the fort, by a T junction. The first of four stiles takes us from the road to the first field, the fourth stile takes you to a bridge over a stream in a gorge, where courting Buzzards circle overhead. Then take the overgrowing path up the other side of the gorge, until you com,e next to a wide green field, jump the fence and go up the hill, the fort is inevitably at the top.
Upon reaching the top the first part of the fort we get to is the southern end of the great C, I call it the great C in effigy of The U of Stemster, the fort is ploughed out and away on the east side leaving the large C shaped earthworks we have with us today. The Great C of Bontuchel, will it catch on do you think.
We enter the ditch, over a very low earthwork that shores up this end of the fort, is it original or just part of the destruction, it’s a nasty term destruction, but if they laid a bypass through your kitchen it would feel pretty destroyed.
But what is left is a pleasure to behold, two banks and ditches, both high and low, best preserved at the south west. The trees lend an airy atmosphere, and hide you from prying farmers eyes, for they all have such eyes, and they shout too much.
At the west end of the great C is a very slight entrance, cant tell if it’s modern or not though. Also an old low wall runs right by right up against the fort, making it look like an additional bank of the fort.
Reaching the end of the fort, at the top, it just runs out and is replaced by a hedge, fade to grey.
I quickly march over to the other end of the field for a wider shot of the whole place, it looks good framed against the Clwydian range and all it’s hill forts.

Fab place.

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