ME008

Tyddyn-y-Coed Camp  

 

Designated  

Gwynedd  

Arthog  

269417  

315791  

Defence  

Hillfort  

Prehistoric  

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument. The monument comprises the remains of a hillfort, which probably dates to the Iron Age period (c. 800 BC - AD 74, the Roman conquest of Wales). Hillforts are usually located on hilltops and surrounded by a single or multiple earthworks of massive proportions. Hillforts must have formed symbols of power within the landscape, while their function may have had as much to do with ostentation and display as defence. Tyddyn-y-Coed Camp, also known as Craig y Castell, is an irregular sub-oval enclosure measuring c.70m east-west by c.40m, crowning a rocky knoll, with crags falling away to the north. It is defined by tumbled stone walls which may originally have been c.3m thick at the base with an outer face c.2.5m high. An inturned entrance on the south makes use of a natural gully. There are hints of an inner enclosure c.30m east-west by c.20m within the north-western part of the enclosed area. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of later prehistoric defensive organisation and settlement. The site forms an important element within the wider later prehistoric context and within the surrounding landscape. The site is well preserved and retains considerable archaeological potential. There is a strong probability of the presence of evidence relating to chronology, building techniques and functional detail. The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.