Llangollen
The Dee Valley
 

Llangollen Enterprise
Anturieth Llangollen
Parade Street
Llangollen
Denbighshire
North Wales
LL20 8PW
United Kingdom

Llangollen Enterprise Office
telephone: +44 (0)1978 861345
fax: +44 (0)1978 861345
e-mail: le@llangollen.org.uk

Tourist Information Office
telephone: +44 (0)1978 860828
fax: +44 (0)1978 861563
e-mail: llangollen@nwtic.com

 
Caer Drewyn is set on a hill overlooking the valley of the River Dee near Corwen. In Iron Age times it must have dominated this important route way with spectacular views of the valley and of the mountains to the west and north. It is now a scheduled ancient monument.

Today the hill fort consists of a massive stone built rampart with entrances on the west and north-east sides. The north-east entrance has guard-chambers built into it and is protected by a deep ditch. A triangular-shaped enclosure was added to the side of the fort at a later date, probably during the Romano-British or Dark Age period. Inside it are the remains of round stone buildings.

The hill fort interior has not been excavated but would probably have contained round houses of stone or wood as well as rectangular four-post structures. The ruins of a number of stone buildings and the remains of house platforms can be seen in the north-east corner and on the south side of the fort.

Before the stone-walled fort was constructed an earlier Iron Age enclosure was built on the hill. Slight remains of it can be seen on the eastern side.

The remains of a number of medieval houses set on platforms in the western entrance of the hill fort show that the area was utilised long after the fort fell into disuse.

The closest parking is at the local swimming pool which is located on the B5437 opposite the end of the bridge over the Dee, on the road from Corwen (A5). The site can be reached by public footpath clearly signposted on the north side of the B5437 just east of the swimming pool.

The footpath follows a good track which winds below the western side of the hill fort, it then swings hard right, up the western flank, along the outside of the southern rampart and to the north-east gate. Please keep to the footpath to prevent damage. Strong shoes or walking boots are recommended.

Time required for walk: 25-35 minutes in each direction plus time for exploring the hill fort. It is a steep climb to the fort.