The Narrow Entrance Passage Between the Twin guard Chambers of The North East Gate
© Kanovium Project
This is the entrance passage of the north east gate, this was revealed by Gardner, who apparently stripped a large amount of the subsequent centuries of soil to reveal not only the cobbled track into the fort but also the curved flanking walls of the rampart which are here provided with twin guard chambers. The entrance passage is very narrow and would have allowed the fort residents ease of defense at what was considered the most vulnerable area of the fort. The twin curve of the rampart allowed a wide angle of view but also allowed a wide angle of missile range, basically a war party would have found themselves hemmed in the passage while their backs and flanks would have been very vulnerable to the use of sling shots or simply large boulders hurled down. This gate was the weakest after the north west because the land to the north is not precipitous but fairly level, all other areas being protected by cliffs over 100 feet tall. It was be a gate such as this that the Roman army would have assaulted if indeed this ever occurred, though not in a direct assault as would have been usual if done by a British warband. The Romans would have set up their rock and bolt firing spring guns and pounded the gate until either set alight or broken, a rush by the foot soldiers would soon wrap things up, there seems to be evidence of Roman military activity along with slighting, if in actual war or practice is unknown, During the 120’s AD people inside the fort used imported Samian pottery, Gardner found a sherd in a rubbish pit at this gate. This entrance like all others at the fort are situated at the heads of natural gullies. The dry stone walling lining the entrance passage can be seen to advantage above, in remarkably fine condition, but I cannot be certain to what period it belongs, as the fort development phases are not understood. I think we have a foundation about 800 B.C, during the very early Iron age, as finds of late Bronze age age material have been found on the headland beyond the fort, while these are probably of a votive nature as Cefn yr Ogof features a prominent cave which is likely to attracted religious activity, a mother goddess, the material likely comes from occupants of the fort. Roman activity seems to start around A.D 120, at a time of garrison withdrawl at Caerhun. The Roman interest in the place is enigmatic, and continues into the 5th century as the Germanic type belt buckle found in 1992 proves, though it could have belonged to a local resident of the the fort, but either way proves Roman influence and supplies still reached the area at this time. The use of Roman goods long after the province had been given up is not unusual, chiefly in the form of amphoras, still imported from Italy, and have been noted at Dinas Emrys hillfort near Beddgelert. This being the only ceramic material in use in the 5th-6th centuries, the silly theory current is that people ‘forgot’ how to make pottery. During 1999 Gwynedd Archaeological Trust excavated the hill Bryn Euryn, which stands to the west of Colwyn Bay, the results they obtained proved that this hill had been fortified with well constructed limestone walls in the 5th century, no finds what so ever proved this date, they sought the amphora fragments which would clinch the issue, but it goes to prove that most of these old Iron age forts received some attention from the local noble classes. Possibly because of some threat, which may have been the Saxons, as Saxon type material in the form of strap ends have been found at Dinorben hillfort, which once stood east of Abergele, the belt buckle found here is also in a Romano-Saxon style, we also have 5th century activity at Deganwy castle, which G.A.T suggested to me may be similar to the fortification at Bryn Euryn. But at Pen y Corddyn Mawr we have no idea when occupation ended. A recent popular history of Wales shows an illustration of an annular brooch allegedly found here, of an early medieval style, the pin was lost but the ring features settings for paste or semi precious stones, it is clearly of a high status nature, being similar to examples from Pant y Saer, Anglesey, and Traprain Law, Scotland. The book does not give any indication to the nature of the find, or any provenance, or if found by the metal detector is also undisclosed. If really found here then clearly the fort was still possibly occupied at this time. Dinorben provided examples of mid medieval horse trappings, there they are attributed to the fort being used to coral horses (Parc y Meirc, an older name for Dinorben, means roughly ‘the horse park’ so possibly even after a military or just the use by strong local war bands ceased these forts could still have provided useful stock enclosures for horses. A use which many originally attribute to these forts by the original Iron age occupants. Here though, I doubt this Iron Age cattle coral theory, the hill above the north eastern gate was almost definitely linked to mother goddess worship and the sink hole at the centre of the fort could possibly have been linked to a passage into the underworld, the metal detector find of a late Roman votive hoard just north of the site with the votive dogs similar, but inferio, to examples found at Lydney Park, Severn Estuary, again 4th century, points to Romano- British continuation of the religious beliefs of the Iron age. Concerning the medieval brooch, it is a shame such finds are not made public, the old style books by the antiquary, Ellis Davies and his twin studies of Denbighshire and Flintshire are a good example, which though naive, served well to group together artifacts and descriptions of then existing remains for us to refer to in the 21 century, this now doesn’t seem to be the case. The old Clwyd Archaeology Service, which used to publish newsletters and a useful annual catalogue, free of charge, no longer exists, though the Cheshire Archaeology unit still does publish a similar publication. Therefore many local finds go unnoticed, at the present day you can see at Colwyn Bay Library a display of Roman finds from the area, the Bryn Euryn amphora, the late coin hoard found near Penrhyn Old Hall, and what surprised me the most, a 1st or 2nd century Roman seal ring, depicting a phoenix rising from the ashes, found in 1998 in a garden at Rhos on Sea, I hope to obtain photographs of these in due course. Also an alleged find of a 3rd century Roman seal ring found on the hill above, this of a religious nature, which depicted a temple of two columns, in which a seated figure receives a libation from a standing figure. These are common late Roman finds, it may be European, it is still doubtless a gift to the mother goddess, equally as with the votive dogs it could point to a temple being in the area, and Pen y Corddyn Mawr is a strong contender for the location.
© Kanovium Project
Looking north
toward the possible religious focal for the fort, Cefn yr Ogof, which translates roughly into ‘the back of the cave’ the cave can still be viewed today from the A55 road, an impressive cave, surely occupied in ancient times,
long before the advent of the Roman Empire. Cefn yr Ogof is an impressive site, now some areas facing Llanddulas have been removed by quarries in the last 400 years, originally booty held by King Edward 1st, the land was
given to the Bishop of Bangor as a bribe to baptize the king’s son Edward 11, Prince of Wales, the hill must have been a valuable commodity during the 13th century in view of the still visible metal mines. This may go
some way to prove Bronze age, Iron age and Romano-British interest in the hill, not just financial either, possibly the lead deposits had been viewed as a gift of the mother goddess. This lead is profuse in the area of
the Dulas Valley the veins continuing through the Llysfaen area west, and Abergele, north east. Cefn Yr Ogof is riddled with caves, one has been converted into a lead mine, which penetrates the entire hill to emerge a
mile away below Gwrych Castle, but none are as impressive as the mother cave. Old legend gives one of these caves as the home of the Devil in days gone by, but the evil spirit was removed by a local priest after causing
havoc in the nearby village of Llanddulas.
Today Cefn yr Ogof is a recreational hill, divided in two by a parish boundary wall, the west half was still owned in 1830 by the Bishop of Bangor, who actually sent in the
Denbighshire Militia when the villagers of Llanddulas attempted to take over the quarry, this faces the village but is now derelict, while the eastern half I think is owned by the American owner of Gwrych Castle. Whoever
owns it now seems immaterial as I say it has become a hill of recreation, it is frequented by rock climbers, metal detectorists, who allege to have totally stripped any material from the open areas, mountain bikers, off road
motorcyclists, alcoholic tramps, dog walkers, gun users, and ramblers. What the old goddess thinks of all this I couldn’t even hazard a guess, or even if she existed at all. Pen y Corddyn Mawr, however seems seldom
visited, as with many ancient sites in the area it is privately owned, and is subject to a boring landowner v walkers problem. It is certainly not open to the public, seek permission from farm to east of hill.
