thesweetcheat

Pen-y-Fan dominates the countryside for miles around. Seen along the Usk valley from Darren on the slopes of Pen Cerrig-calch. The dark, wooded hill is Myarth.

The fort from the north.

Looking over the eastern ramparts towards the unmistakable cone of the Sugarloaf/Pen-y-Fal.

The eastern entrance has well-defined inturned banks, something I failed to spot on either of my previous visits.

Looking out from the eastern entrance. The hill opposite is the southern end of the Pen y Gadair Fawr ridge, location of a couple of Bronze Age cairns and a very fine standing stone.

More commanding views from the fort rampart, towards the Brecon Beacons. There is a ring cairn on the flat-topped spur on the far right.

The commanding view over the Usk valley. The sandstone slabs form a natural cheval-de-frise.

The northwestern corner is comprised of exposed strata of red sandstone, not sure if this is a result of later quarrying.

Stonework in the outer rampart.

Looking up towards the bulk of Pen Cerrig-calch from the outer rampart.

The eastern entrance, from the lower outer rampart.

The stone is over 6 feet tall.

Howney Stone Rath occupies the prominent headland. Stack Rocks in the distance.

The inner bank.

Brandy Bay, the western side of the fort.

Decent ramparts at this site.

The outer rampart.

Double rampart.

The steeply sloping fort interior, from the west.

Looking west across the fort. Skomer Island can just be seen in the far distance.

The drop down to Foxes’ Holes on the east of the fort. The sweep of St Bride’s Bay can just be seen on the horizon.

Looking along the single rampart from its northeastern end.

The fort is bounded on its west side by the sheer drop to Mill Haven.

The single rampart, seen from its western end.

Mill Haven Rath, occupying the flat headland opposite, seen across Mill Haven from the west.

The eastern extent of the fort (left).

The outer face of the single rampart.

The western extent of the fort (right).

The single rampart, foreground.

Coastal erosion is really taking its toll on the narrow neck of the fort.

This is a very precarious feeling place to visit.

Seen from the west, our arrival coinciding with that of the fine rain that gets you wet.

The substantial drystone wall gives some scale to the ramparts.

The sheer cliffs forming the north side of the fort. Skomer Island in the distance.

Looking across the triple ramparts from the inner bank, towards The Nab Head, a mesolithic flint-working site.

Looking over the southern end of the ramparts towards the Marloes peninsula. The “bump” on the far right skyline is the heighest point inside the much larger Deer Park fort.

The inner rampart is quite overgrown, but remains a decent height.

The triple ramparts from the southeast.

Tower Point promontory fort from the south. The highest of the triple ramparts can be clearly seen.

Looking south along the rampart.

The highest part of the fort interior.

The northern cliffs of the fort. From here there is a line of sight to Tower Point cliff fort, further round the coast.

Skomer Island can be seen on the left. It’s easy to see how this fort could have controlled access to the island.

Some evidence of the stone construction of the massive rampart.