This is one of four caches you can find on a round walk from the visitor Centre. The cache is a plastic clip lock container with a log book an information sheet and swaps.
The cache can be reached by forest road and walking trails. Please do not go on the Mountain Bike Single Track for your safety and theirs! Park at the Coed y Brenin Visitor Centre (charge applies)
Clash of Iron:
During the 1300’s iron was smelted here and was more valuable than gold. At this time the whole country was on a war footing, so the need for Iron to make weapons made this, and other sites within the forest area (9 others have been found so far), very important. The iron was held at Harlech Castle until the siege by Owain Glyndwr in the early 1400’s
Known as Bloomeries the impure bog iron was smelted in the furnaces (ovens) heated by charcoal and made into bars weighing about the same as a 1kg bag of sugar. Charcoal was made from the trees in the surrounding area and once this was exhausted they would move the workings to a new area. This deforestation led to more grazing land as an area of 166 football pitches would be cleared. You can see bits of ‘bloom’ (waste from the smelting) around the furnaces.
Haearn yn Taro Haearn :
Câi haearn ei fwyndoddi yma yn ystod y 1300au, ac roedd yn fwy gwerthfawr nag aur. Roedd hwn yn gyfnod cythryblus, ac roedd y safle hwn, ynghyd â safleoedd eraill o fewn y goedwig (daethpwyd o hyd i 9 safle arall hyd yma) yn hynod o bwysig oherwydd y galw am haearn i wneud arfau. Arferid cadw’r haearn yng Nghastell Harlech hyd y gwarchae ar y castell gan Owain Glyndwr ar ddechrau’r 1400au.
Roedd y safle hwn felly, ynghyd â safleoedd eraill o fewn ardal y goedwig (daethpwyd o hyd i 9 safle arall hyd yma) yn hynod o bwysig.
Ar safle’r gwaith pwdlo (bloomery) câi’r mwyn haearn cors amhur ei fwyndoddi yn y ffwrneisi a wresogid â siarcol, a’i lunio’n farrau a oedd yn pwyso rhywbeth tebyg i fag 2kg o siwgr. Câi’r siarcol ei wneud o’r coed mewn ardal benodol ac ar ôl i’r cyflenwad ddod i ben byddent yn symud y gwaith i ardal arall. Arweiniodd y datgoedwigo hyn at greu rhagor o dir pori, gan y byddai ardal cymaint â 166 o feysydd pêl droed yn cael ei chlirio. Gallwch weld darnau o ‘flwm’ neu haearn pwdl (gwastraff o’r mwyndoddi) o gwmpas y ffwrneisi.