<< Our Photo Pages >> Pen Dinas (Aberystwyth) - Hillfort in Wales in Ceredigion
Submitted by vicky on Friday, 12 May 2017 Page Views: 27003
Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Pen Dinas (Aberystwyth) Alternative Name: Dinas Maelor, Maelor's FortCountry: Wales County: Ceredigion Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Aberystwyth
Map Ref: SN5842080211 Landranger Map Number: 135
Latitude: 52.401543N Longitude: 4.082481W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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I have visited· I would like to visit
w650marion visited on 29th Sep 2023 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 3 Parked in the free car park at the end of Pen-yr-Angor road and walked up signposted footpaths. There was a large otter on the footpath near the river when we got back - what a treat!
rhodct visited on 24th Aug 2023 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 3
Hayden visited on 26th Dec 2021 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 3 Access: 4
AngieLake have visited here
Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 2.67 Ambience: 3.67 Access: 3.33
Pen Dinas strictly speaking only refers to the highest point, 'Pen y Dinas' or 'Head of the Citadel', (upon which the Wellington Monument now stands). The southern summit is also where, in the Bronze Age, a burial mound was erected.
The hill fort actually consists of two separate forts built many years apart, which were later combined to form a larger structure. The first fort to be constructed was on the lower northern summit. It consists of an outer ditch and inner rampart of rubble. It would originally have been surmounted by a wooden palisade. The main gateway is on the western side and is formed by a stone lined gap in the ditch and bank.
After this first fort was eventually abandoned several decades passed before work began on a new fortification on the higher summit to the south. This second site is better protected by a steeper slope on the western side. To the south and east huge terraced earth works were built faced with shale which would again have been topped with a wooden palisade. Entrance into the southern fort is via gateways to the north and south. They are both formed of narrow passageways through the earthworks and would also have had timber bridges to cross the ditches. The northern gateway is kinked to the left, probably to aid defence by slowing down attackers.
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Note: Suspected Bronze Age burial mound found during community project - see the latest comment on our page. Volunteers are sought for ongoing work
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