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.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Pistyll, United Kingdom
See all sites in Pistyll

Details

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

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Simon Faulks (8 months ago)
An amazing day's walking with wonderful views at the top. Watch your step coming down as there are places where there's loose shale, so it can be precarious. Sturdy walking boots and walking poles advisable.
Ariane Oiticica (8 months ago)
Easy ascent, around 450m at the top of the main peak. Stunning views from all around the bay, well worth the climb.
Matthew Bonham (12 months ago)
Great walk up to the top. We did a loop from the beach car park, up through the Quarry, round to Caer Gribin and Tre'r Ceiri before the ascent up. Path was relatively fine, loose rocks at the top. Stunning views in all directions. There is a car park nearer to the top for a shorter walk
John Jones (2 years ago)
On a clear day, there are views of Wicklow Mountains in Ireland, Isle of Mann, over cardigan bay, the rest of Eryri, and the Llyn Peninsula. There are 3 summits...Garn Y Môr aka Mynydd Gwaith, Garn Ganol, and Tre'r Ceiri with Garn Ganol being the tallest (middle summit of the 3) at 564m. It is quite easy for experienced hikers but rugged in places for beginners. You can start from Yr Eifl car park north of Llithfaen (free), or you can start from Trefor if you want to tackle it from sea level. Each summit can be tackled individually, or you can do the 3 in a 5 mile circuit (either direction). Alternatively, for a flatter walk, you can walk up to Bwlch yr Eifl from Llithfaen car park and back and still get good views. Tre'r Ceiri (southernmost summit) is an ancient iron age hillfort and can also be easily approached from a layby on the B4417 just aftet Llanaelhearn village.
Adam N (4 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.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Argos Theater

The ancient Argos Theater was built in 320 BC. and is located in Argos, Greece against Larissa Hill. Nearby from this site is Agora, Roman Odeon, and the Baths of Argos. The theater is one of the largest architectural developments in Greece and was renovated in ca 120 AD.

The Hellenistic theater at Argos is cut into the hillside of the Larisa, with 90 steps up a steep incline, forming a narrow rectilinear cavea. Among the largest theaters in Greece, it held about 20,000 spectators and is divided by two landings into three horizontal sections. Staircases further divide the cavea into four cunei, corresponding to the tribes of Argos A high wall was erected to prevent unauthorized access into the theatron and may have helped the acoustics, but it is said the sound quality is still very good today.

Around 120 CE, both theaters were renovated in the Roman style.