Scheduled MonumentsWalesCraig yr Aderyn Hillfort
Prehistoric · Hillfort

Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort

Meirionnydd, Wales
Cadw SAM ME075
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Hillfort
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort is a prehistoric hillfort located in Wales, occupying a naturally elevated position underlain by Ordovician extrusive rocks, specifically felsic tuff deposits formed during the Ordovician period. The hard volcanic bedrock would have provided a stable foundation for the construction and defence of the site. The hillfort is protected as a scheduled monument under Cadw, the Welsh Historic Monuments service, registered under reference ME075.

The site demonstrates the strategic principles typical of Iron Age hillforts across Britain and Wales, where elevated terrain offering commanding views of surrounding lowlands made ideal locations for settlement and defensive purposes. The exposed felsic tuff bedrock characteristic of this area would have influenced both the construction methods available to its inhabitants and the monument's long-term preservation.

Today, Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort remains an important archaeological site within Wales's heritage landscape, contributing to understanding of prehistoric settlement patterns and defensive strategies in the region. Its protected status ensures ongoing preservation of both the visible earthworks and the archaeological deposits contained within and around the monument.

Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference ME075. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort?

Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort is a prehistoric hillfort located in Wales, occupying a naturally elevated position underlain by Ordovician extrusive rocks, specifically felsic tuff deposits formed during the Ordovician period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference ME075.

What period does Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort date from?

Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a hillfort. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort?

Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is ME075.

What other scheduled monuments are near Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Tarren Hendre Cairn (4.8 km), Crop marks (revealed by Aerial photography) SE of Pen-y-Sarn, Bryn-Crug (5.4 km), Waen Fach Standing Stone (5.4 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort

Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Ordovician, bedrock that formed in the Ordovician. The rock here is felsic tuff.