Campaigners call for greater efforts to secure future of Pen Dinas Iron Age Celtic hillfort

Pen Dinas is the name of a large hill by the village of Penparcau, on the coast of Ceredigion, Wales. It is the site of Pen Dinas Iron Age Celtic hillfort which overlooks the sea from a ridge between the Rivers Rheidol and Ystwyth, and stands above the town of Aberystwyth. Enclosing an area of 3.8 hectares, defined by massive rampart and ditched defences, this is one of the largest and most important hillforts in west Wales. Excavations of the site, between 1933-37, pointed to intermittent occupation during the Iron Age. However, a subsequent scientific investigation has found Pen Dinas might have been inhabited as far back as 3,200 years ago. A geophysical survey indicated a ‘burial mound’ shows it to have been inhabited between 1200 and 700 BC.

Now concerns have been raised about the future of the historical site. As reported in the Welsh newspaper Cambrian News, the Penparcau History and Heritage Group have pointed out that the size of the hillfort, and the speed of growth of vegetation on it, requires an appropriate management plan be put in place to secure the site. The local history group points out that not only does Pen Dinas have the highly significant Iron Age hillfort and Bronze Age burial mound, it is within the largest local nature reserve in the UNESCO Dyfi Biosphere. Their campaign has garnered local community and political support.

There are many Iron Age hillforts of various sizes across the Celtic nations. There exact purpose is not known with speculation that they could have been meant as great symbols of power and permanently occupied. There locations being an imposing landmark that could be seen for miles around. It has also been suggested that hillforts were occasional, temporary refuges for communities during times of conflict. A significant feature can be huge ramparts, and defensive banks and ditches. This certainly points to a perceived threat at the time of there use. More than 1,000 hillforts are scattered around Wales.  The Iron Age hillfort  of Castell Henllys is one such site and is an interesting place to visit having been the subject to reconstruction archaeology. It has four roundhouses and a granary that have been reconstructed on their original Iron Age foundations.