Dinas Dinorwig

Iron Age Hillfort

Dinas Dinorwig — Fort of the Ordovices is an Iron-Age Hillfort. It is thought that it was part of the territory of the Ordovices tribe, and that ‘Dinorwig’ means “Fort of the Ordovices”. The Romans used local slate for the construction of Segontium, and slates from the valley were used in the construction of Caernarfon Castle.

Dinas Dinorwig hillfort sits on one of the summits of a long ridge running NE-SW. On the NW the ground falls away steeply to a small tributary of the River Seiont and on the SE the ground falls away less steeply to the marshy valley in which the River Cegin rises.

The fort consists of an inner wall, enclosing circa one hectare, surrounded by two massive ramparts of earth and rubble. The larger of the two entrances through the wall is obstructed by the inner rampart, showing that the ramparts are later than the wall. The outer rampart is accompanied for most of its circuit by a ditch some four meters wide. On the North side a wedge shaped annexe occupies the space between the outer rampart and the steep slope of the hill. Within the defences, on the west side, lies a single hut, now visible as a depression.

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