Cefn yr Ogof from the North West Rampart Liverpool Bay Beyond

© Kanovium Project

This image is taken from the highest point of the fort, looking north toward the Irish Sea.  Middle of image can be seen the much reduced double rampart of the fortification, white patches right and left of this rampart system are quarry pits from which the wall material was quarried.  The rock is carboniferous limestone, looking slightly like South of England chalk on these images.  This high point is still inside the hillfort, but this particular section is so well defended by steep cliffs, east, west and south, that it fades out beneath only to pick up again behind the photographer, here the rampart is very slight, which must have been this way even when built, the quarry pits continue but are mostly only shallow, barely penetrating the soil more than a few inches.  The area this double rampart protects was the weakest point of the plateau,  right of the photographer the rampart continues, in good order as an earthwork and a square section wall, toward the north east gate it takes on a larger profile as it curves in to protect the entrance passage.

  In the distance stands the mountain of Cefn yr Ogof, clearly overlooking Liverpool Bay and the Irish Sea, this has had a number of Roman finds in the past, and (unless it represents nothing more than a pleasant walk)  must have been linked to Pen y Corddyn Mawr, it is a short walk to the edge of the cliffs above the cave and the A55 road, there is much evidence of lead mining in the form of numerous ‘bell pits’ of late medieval to early Victorian date, and also a very deep lead seam.  This seam takes the form of a gorge and is a natural fault, lined with bell pits some very large, the seam runs from the trees on the slope of Cefn yr Ogof and runs east almost a mile to end at the area of Gwrych Castle.  This must have been an important factor in Iron age and Roman times, and may explain the importance of this hillfort and the Roman interest.  A local myth declares a similar lead fault beneath Castell Cawr hillfort to be the work of the Romans, known enigmatically as ‘Ffos y Bleiddiad’ or the ‘wolves ditch’ or alternatively ‘Ffos yr Rhufeiniad’ or ‘the Roman’s ditch’ these show evidence of mining work of many periods.  A tale of hammer stones being discovered in the Wolves ditch points to the work being ancient, while the alleged finding of a ‘golden hilted Roman sword’ makes me think these artifacts (modern location unknown) are actually Bronze Age and much earlier than the Roman period.

It has been postulated that if the Romans mined metals from these hills then a labour camp is still to be found in the area, while Roman coins and other artifacts are fairly common finds in the Abergele area, no Roman structures have yet been found.  A large hoard of ‘paterae’ which are bronze or silver bowls with an ornate handle from the grounds of Abergele Hospital could possibly point to the wealth and Roman interest in the area.  These paterae are usually used as the Roman soldier’s camp mess bowl, but in this case it seems these examples which were ploughed up in the early 20th century, are very high status examples and appear to have been manufactured in Italy.  Why they should have been buried about a mile south outside Abergele, and roughly a little bit further from Dinorben hillfort and the Caerhun road is a mystery, hoards are usually buried a mile or two outside a settlement, in case the merchant was mugged while visiting the town, so possibly we have a fairly important Roman settlement in the locality.

© Kanovium Project

The high spot on this image was the point the image top of page was taken from.  This is the North West gate looking South.  It can clearly be seen to be situated at the head of a natural gully.  The hilltop is seemed with these gullies from East - West in the main, though the North Western entrance sits at the head of a South - North one.  The ramparts above, defend the shoulder of the hill and end abruptly far right at a very steep cliff.

A Patera and Silvered Wine Strainer from the Abergele Hoard

© Kanovium Project