Scheduled MonumentsWalesFfridd Fechan Fort
Prehistoric · Hillfort

Ffridd Fechan Fort

Meirionnydd, Wales
Cadw SAM ME127
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Hillfort
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM ME127
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1991-05-07
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Ffridd Fechan Fort is a prehistoric hillfort situated in Wales on bedrock composed of Lower Cambrian sandstone and conglomerate. The fort is protected as a scheduled monument under Cadw's reference ME127. Its location on these ancient geological strata, laid down during the Early Cambrian period, reflects the hillforts' characteristic occupation of commanding elevated positions across the Welsh landscape.

Like other hillforts of Iron Age and later prehistoric periods, Ffridd Fechan would have served as a defended settlement and focal point for the surrounding community. The interbedded nature of the sandstone and conglomerate bedrock beneath the site would have influenced both the practicality of construction and the site's defensive capabilities, whilst the local geology shaped patterns of land use and settlement in the wider area.

The fort remains an important archaeological resource for understanding prehistoric Welsh settlement patterns and social organisation. Its statutory protection by Cadw ensures the preservation of this monument for future research and public engagement with Wales's early Iron Age heritage.

Ffridd Fechan Fort is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference ME127. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Ffridd Fechan Fort?

Ffridd Fechan Fort is a prehistoric hillfort situated in Wales on bedrock composed of Lower Cambrian sandstone and conglomerate. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference ME127.

What period does Ffridd Fechan Fort date from?

Ffridd Fechan Fort 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 Ffridd Fechan Fort?

Ffridd Fechan Fort 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 ME127.

What other scheduled monuments are near Ffridd Fechan Fort?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Hut Circle (and Early Field System) on Bryn Seward (6.2 km), Hut Enclosure and Early Field System South of Mynydd Graigwen (6.3 km), Hut Group 530m SSE of Cyfannedd Fawr (6.5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Ffridd Fechan Fort

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Ffridd Fechan Fort'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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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Ffridd Fechan Fort

Ffridd Fechan Fort stands on Lower Cambrian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Cambrian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.