The North West Gateway Looking South

© Kanovium Project

The very low late October sun on a rare bright day highlights the double ramparts to perfection, seen to curve sinuously around the west high point of the fort, this part overlooking the village of Rhyd y Foel, far below out of shot.  The confusion of scattered limestone blocks marks the site of the north western gateway.  Willoughby Gardner describes this gate as only being partialy excavated by himself, and judging by the outlines not being as cleared of rubble as the north eastern entrance I should say he probably only excavated the area inside the fort.  He describes it to be of similar style and form to the north eastern gate, but to have been constructed in a less elaborate manner.  What we have at both these entrances is a narrow cobbled entrance flanked by twin guard towers situated within the curving termination of the rampart walls, though the gate above may only have one guard room, like all the other gates it utilizes a natural gully which would have been slightly squared off and lined with dry stone masonary.  I think it strange that Gardner decribes this gate as inferior to the north east as the ground here looks the easiest for an enemy to form up on and rush the gate.  It is not as precipitous and not so steep, the ramparts here clearly have been of massive construction, possibly to take this weakness into account.  But the ground north east of the gate slopes rather gently, crossed by a hollow way emrging from the gate which is surely original, which seems to be heading toward the annexe area of the fort, which is the rough scrubby ground directly above Rhyd y Foel.  West of this is the now derelict Rhyd y Foel quarry, this quarry seems to have removed a portion of the fort, Gardner thought the hollow way actually headed this way but was removed too, so we cannot now be certain what original approach to this gate was available. The drystone walling lining the entrance to the gates can be seen on the images on the next page.

© Kanovium Project

The twin rampart walls with a narrow platform, or ‘berm’ between, of the north east corner of the hillfort, this period double wall always had the higher wall inside the fort and a similar height ratio can be seen throughout the whole northern enclosure, these two walls stood 18m apart.  On this image it is evident how much of the inner rampart has been destroyed, the spread of limestone chippings and larger stones representing deliberate damage, and much of this is evident on the double wall, areas with a lesser wall, as at the south and east sides appear to have been overlooked.  In the far distance, above the red ploughed field stands the small fort of Castell Cawr.  Castell Cawr is unexcavated and stands above the town of Abergele, difficult to interpret because of thick tree growth, during the late 1980’s work to reduce the trees revealed a cobbled trackway and square building foundations, how the two forts interacted is unknown.  The two forts command high points and are about one mile apart, it is difficult to understand how two forts could be needed in such a small area, as the area commanded by the forts is smaller than is expected for Iron age strongpoints, so if of the same community, or differing periods is unknown.  Castell Cawr, like this fort has evidence of Roman activity, in the form of possible lead mines, the area is rich in copper, lead and iron ore, this must explain Imperial interest in the Llanddulas, Abergele areas.