Caer Bach is a Welsh hillfort of indeterminate age, on a rounded hillock situated near the village of Rowen; in Conwy County Borough, North Wales. Its name in English translates as 'Small Fort'; or alternatively 'Little Fortress'. It is situated on the Eastern slopes of Tal-y-Fan, an outlying peak of the Carneddau mountain range in northeast Snowdonia; at an altitude of approximately 413 metres (1,355 feet). Little information is known about the history of the fort, as to date, the site has undergone minimal investigation.[1] The fort is classed as a scheduled ancient monument and is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric settlement. It is said to retain significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits.[2]
"Caer Bach, a small hill-fort at about 1,300ft above O.D. The end of a spur projecting E. from Tal y Fan rises slightly to form a rounded hillock, which is encircled by two roughly circular lines of defence. The outer is a bank of earth with an external ditch, which survives to a total height of about 10ft. A stone revetment of laid masonry can be traced on the N.W. outer face, and a slight counterscarp bank on the S. The E. side merges into the natural slope. Separated from this rampart by about 50ft. are the footings of a stone wall, much robbed, about 12–15 feet thick, built in short straight lengths. The facing, where it survives, is generally of large blocks set on their longer edges. There entrances through both ramparts were on the S.E., but are much ruined. A hut circle and be traced against the inner face of the N.W. side of the inner enclosure."[3]
The site has been identified as a partial contour fort,[4] unusual for its poorly defensible position within the wider landscape, and also for its small size. The fort has broad views over the Conwy valley and it has been speculated that its position is related to a prehistoric trackway,[5] which ran from the mouth of the River Conwy, through to the mountain pass at Bwlch-y-Ddeufaen. Minimal investigations into the site mean that no dating evidence has been made available.[6]
The wider landscape
Thirty yards southwest of the fort are the remains of a round hut, about 24 feet in diameter and cut into the slope on the northeast and dating from the Iron Age / Roman period (Grid ref: SH74377292).[7]
Plan of Caer Bach.
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales also notes the remnants of three Bronze Age cairns to the south-west of the fort.[8] The cairns are described as surviving in 'very poor' condition, being 'circular mounds of earth and stones', the tallest of which rises 1 foot, 6 inches above the ground, with a diameter of 18 feet. (Grid ref: SH74297259)[9]
Access
Defensive ditch running along the NE boundary of Caer Bach.
The fort is in quite a remote, hilly area; and access necessarily involves at least a little walking over some uneven, upland terrain. The quickest route is to drive up to Llangelynin church via a narrow road that leads through Henryd,[10] utilise the small car park and make your way on foot to the fort, using the public footpath which forms a small part of the North Wales Pilgrim's Way as it runs West past the church, before bearing South towards the fort. The church is not named on the Ordnance Survey map, but lies at reference SH751737.
An alternate route by car, is to park in the public car park at Bwlch-y-Ddeufaen and follow the line of the old Roman road past Cae Coch farm, before leaving the track to take the public footpath which runs in a north-easterly direction, and leads directly to the fort. This route will take you very near to the Bronze Ageburial chamber, 'Maen-y-Bardd' (see link below for further details).[11]
Public footpaths converge on the site from all directions. The fort itself sits near the South-Eastern border of a large area of Open Access land, designated "Open Common".
Nearby prehistoric sites
Whilst the area is full of prehistoric remains, some nearby, but by no means exhaustive sites of note are:
(SH75427395) Cerrig-y-Ddinas, Iron Age hillfort.[12]
Prehistoric Wales in terms of human settlements covers the period from about 230,000 years ago, the date attributed to the earliest human remains found in what is now Wales, to the year AD 48 when the Roman army began a military campaign against one of the Welsh tribes. Traditionally, historians have believed that successive waves of immigrants brought different cultures into the area, largely replacing the previous inhabitants, with the last wave of immigrants being the Celts. However, studies of population genetics now suggest that this may not be true, and that immigration was on a smaller scale.
Bwlch-y-Ddeufaen is a mountain pass in Conwy county borough, north Wales, traversable only on foot or horseback, following the former Roman road from Caerhun (Canovium) to Caernarfon (Segontium). The route may be followed by road to Rowen or to Llanbedr-y-Cennin and from either, the way, through a mountain gate, is a clearly marked green path to Abergwyngregyn. The route lies between the peaks of Tal y Fan and Drum, in the Carneddau range in north Snowdonia. The distance from Rowen to Abergwyngregyn is about nine miles of mostly high mountain footpath. Near the Abergwyngregyn end, the route forms part of the North Wales Path.
Rowen is a village on the western slopes of the Conwy valley in the parish of Caerhun and the former County of Caernarfonshire in Wales. It lies off the B5106 road, between Tal y Bont and the Groes Inn. Buildings of Gwynedd 2009 refers to the River Roe probably following the Roman route from Caerhun to Abergwyngregyn. Rowen has won tidiest village awards several times.
The Afon Roe is a small river in Snowdonia in north-west Wales.
Foel Chwern is a Round cairn on the edge of the high plateau east of the Neath valley, and near the summit of Craig y Llyn. The headwaters of the River Rhondda are to the south-west. It is a burial monument dating to the Bronze Age, and is sited on the edge of a steep scarp slope, with a wide field of view to the north. The long distance footpath Coed Morgannwg Way runs close by the cairn. Conifer plantations of the Rheola Forest surround the site.
Castell Caer Seion is an Iron Age hillfort situated at the top of Conwy Mountain, in Conwy County, North Wales. It is unusual for the fact that the main fort contains a smaller, more heavily defended fort, complete with its own distinct defences and entrance, with no obvious means of access between the two. The construction date of the original fort is still unknown, but recent excavations have revealed evidence of occupation as early as the 6th century BC, whilst the smaller fort can be dated with reasonable certainty to around the 4th century BC. Whilst the forts were constructed in different periods, archaeologists have uncovered evidence of concurrent occupation, seemingly up until around the 2nd century BC. The larger fort contained around 50 roundhouses during its lifetime, whereas examinations of the smaller fort have turned up no more than six. The site was traditionally associated with Maelgwyn Gwynedd, but there is no evidence pointing to a 6th-century occupation. The fort and wider area beyond its boundaries have been said to retain significant archaeological potential, and are protected by law as a scheduled ancient monument.
References
↑ "Caer Bach". Atlas of Hillforts. University of Oxford.
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