Llanblethian Hill

Hillfort
SS983742

Also known as:

Caer Dynnaf and Old Llanblethian

Nearest town:

Cowbridge (2km E)

OS reference:

SS983742

OS sheet:

170

Latitude:

51° 27' 25.54 N

Longitude:

3° 27' 50.22 W

Added to TMA by

Rhiannon

Fieldnotes (1)
Folklore (1)
Links (1)

Articles

Llanblethian Hill

Hillfort

CARL Jun 11, 2010

Visited 2008.
I parked by the church and followed the ‘path’ through the trees which runs around the side of the hillfort. I then made my own way through the bushes/trees up to the hillfort. This is private land with a fence around it and when I visited there were several horses in the field. Nothing to see other than small stones around the edge. Whether these are anything to do with the hillfort or just part of field clearing I don’t know.

Llanblethian Hill

Hillfort

Rhiannon Jan 16, 2025

Picturesque Llanblethian.
Descending Llanblethian-hill, the path to Cowbridge passes over very rocky ground, some of the rocks curiously marked – one forms a fancied resemblance to the impression that would be made by a foot and knee in kneeling, is set down as having been made by the devil, who, in carrying a load, was obliged to rest there. May not the legend have taken its rise in monkish times?
Entering the field from the hill, the pathway winds at the head of three or four strong springs in the field corner. That nearest the hill used to be considered good for diseases of the ey, and cures were wrought there – nothing is now heard of its restorative powers.
Further on, by the hedge-side is a spring protected by a low square of masonry, with an orifice on one side for the overflow. In this are some fragments of an oaken box (nearly perfect a few years ago), where children and others used to go and wish, dropping a pin into the box at the time. Ill-luck was to attend those who took any of the pins out of the box, nevertheless the pins were often cleared out. Either at this well, or the Bomin (Bowman’s) well in the next field, children used to flock on a certain day in the year, All-Hallow’s-tide, I fancy, taking with them drinking vessels and sugar, mixing the sugar with the waters of the spring, and drinking them.
Some years ago a half-crazed fellow began searching for treasures within the precincts of the old castle. After wasting some time therein he gave it up as a bad job. In a drawing of the place as it stood in 1740 the ruins appear of much greater extent than at present, as well as those of Castell Llychad (or Llychod), which is introduced in the back ground. Much of the old castle was taken down 40 years ago to build St. Quentin’s Cottage [...] between here and the castle, on the top of Llanblethian-hill, Castell Llychod, a subterranean passage is said to exist. As there is nothing to indicate such a means of communication, the tradition must be taken upon its own merits.

‘Cadrawd’ writing in the Cardiff Times, 1st July 1893.

I had a look at the old maps and “The Devil’s Foot and Knee” is marked up until the 1960s, at SS986743, on a footpath, so might well be findable. The eye well is at SS987744 and Bowmen’s well at SS988745.