Caerau Hillfort, Iron Age hillfort in Cardiff, Wales
Caerau Hillfort is an Iron Age fort sitting on a ridge with a three-sided defensive design made from large earth ramparts and ditches. The layout covers substantial ground and shows how people shaped the natural slope to create protective walls around the settlement.
Humans lived here continuously from the Neolithic period through the Iron Age, with the major defensive walls built during the Iron Age occupation. A medieval church was later built within the ancient ramparts, showing how the site remained important across different eras.
St Mary's Church occupies the interior of the fort since medieval times, marking the site as a place of worship for centuries. The stone structure shows how different periods of history layered themselves onto this single location.
You can enter from the eastern side or near the southern corner, and the ground is open for walking, though grass and soil vary across the slopes. Wear sturdy shoes since you will be stepping on uneven terrain and climbing the earth ramparts to see the layout clearly.
Excavations turned up flint tools and Roman pottery, including a first-century pouring vessel found near the north entrance. These finds suggest that even after the fort's main period, people from different backgrounds continued to move through and leave traces at this location.
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