Tre'r Ceiri is a hillfort dating back to the Iron Age. The name means 'town of the giants'. The settlement is 450 metres above sea level on the slopes of Yr Eifl, a mountain on the north coast of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. Evidence suggests the settlement was first built around 200 BC, though most of the archaeological finds date from AD 150–400, showing the site continued as a settlement during the Roman occupation.

Tre'r Ceiri is one of the most spectacular ancient monuments in Wales. The settlement is surrounded by stone walls that are largely intact, and which reach up to 4 metres in some places. Within the walls are ruins of about 150 stone houses, which would have had turf roofs. During Roman times, it may have housed up to 400 people. Historian John Davies suggests that because the settlement is so far above sea level, the huts served as habitations for summer shepherds who also had winter dwellings in the lowlands.

In modern times it was first brought to popular attention by Thomas Pennant in his Tours of Wales. Its location and importance have attracted visitors for years. The hillfort has recently been the site of conservation work and footpath maintenance.

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Pistyll, United Kingdom
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Founded: 200 BCE - 400 AD
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in United Kingdom

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Adam N (3 years ago)
Outstanding views of the surrounding coastline. Not too difficult a climb until the top, then there is some scrambling over boulders to get to the peak. The path is fairly clear until the last section (at which point it disappears entirely but it's fairly obvious that you just climb upwards to reach the top). Free parking is a bonus.
Andrew Krawiecki (4 years ago)
A challenging walk. Superb views on the day. 360 degree.
Alan Burley (Hawk) (5 years ago)
Views from the top of the main peak are wonderful when it is clear. Wear good boots and be prepared to scramble. The wind off the sea was generating cloud on the mountains and reducing visibility to 50 meters on our approach. The paths are not marked, no finger post, except the circular route, which was of no use, as they only told you that you were on it. The circular route is not the one that you want if you are aiming for Tre'r Ceiri. Paths are not clear or maintained. The important and OS paths are less worn than others, and are hard to see and follow. In the cloud we ended up on Yr Eifl in error, and saw other walkers who failed to find the correct paths. Even coming down from Tre'r Ceiri the paths heading down to the B4417 car park are not easy to follow. Look for paved paths hidden under heather and keep left except where two paths cross. At that cross, go straight on down hill. I think more people take the wrong paths than the correct ones. Don't let this put you off, it's worth the effort. We are knocking on 70 and not very fit, we found it tough in places, but one of the best walks we've done. The view from Yr Eifl looking down on the Iron Age fort at Tre'r Ceiri was a highlight of the day.
Richard Anderson (5 years ago)
Great summit to try if you are easing into mountain walking, or if you are trying with an active, physically confident child. Some of the paths up are not so well marked, so watch out. For something a little more exciting you can approach the summit from the north face, and find yourself scrambling over boulders. Views are amazing. You can see the entire Llyn peninsular stretching away to the west. Allow around 1.5 to 2 hours to climb, though regular climbers could probably do it in 1 hour. Though it's relatively small, weather can still change quickly as we found out, so still take a few basics (waterproof jacket, phone, snack, water).
Rapinder KK (5 years ago)
We struggled with this one, we weren't expecting to be scrambling over boulders to get to the top, the path gets lost in the boulders at various points. However, still a very enjoyable hike. Will be back again to visit Plas-yn-Rhiw and try this hiking route again.
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