GC6M5WJ Caer Drewyn (Traditional Cache) in North Wales, United Kingdom created by N Wales 2016 UK Mega

This cache has been archived.

Skippy and Pingu: Its gone and so its time to say goodbye to this cache.

GC6M5WJ ▼

A cache by N Wales 2016 UK Mega Message this owner

Hidden : 7/27/2016

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

Placed with the kind permission of Denbighshire County Council. This cache is at the base of Caer Drewyn (which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument). We highly recommend that you take the walk to the top to have a look round this fascinating site.

This is the cache found on the North Wales Night walk event. Caer Drewyn is set on a hill overlooking the valley of the River Dee near Corwen, Denbighshire. In Iron Age times it must have dominated this important routeway with spectacular views of the valley and of the mountains to the west and north. It is now a scheduled ancient monument. Today the hillfort consists of a massive stone built rampart with entrances on the west and north-east sides. The north-east entrance has guard-chambers built into it and is protected by a deep ditch. A triangular-shaped enclosure was added to the side of the fort at a later date, probably during the Romano-British or Dark Age period. Inside it are the remains of round stone buildings. The hillfort interior has not been excavated but would probably have contained round houses of stone or wood as well as rectangular four-post structures. The ruins of a number of stone buildings and the remains of house platforms can be seen in the north-east corner and on the south side of the fort.

Reconstruction drawing of Caer Drewyn hillfort as it may have looked in the Iron Age

Before the stone-walled fort was constructed an earlier Iron Age enclosure was built on the hill. Slight remains of it can be seen on the eastern side. The remains of a number of medieval houses set on platforms in the western entrance of the hillfort show that the area was utilised long after the fort fell into disuse. Air photographs show that beyond the hillfort to the north are the remains of field banks and a rectangular enclosure on the hillslope below. The date of these is not known but they may be associated with the hillfort. Another enclosure with a double-ditch lies further north and may be of Iron Age date. The site can be reached by public footpath clearly signposted on the north side of the B5437 just east of the swimming pool. The footpath follows a good track which winds below the western side of the hillfort, it then swings hard right, up the western flank, along the outside of the southern rampart and to the north-east gate. Please keep to the footpath to prevent damage. Strong shoes or walking boots are recommended.