thesweetcheat

Steep slopes fall away below the man-made defences.

Impressive defences on the western side.

The curve of the ramparts at the southwest.

Looking west along the multiple ramparts on the south side of the fort.

Ditch between the southern lines of ramparts.

Southern defences.

Stonework of the defences exposed, south side of the fort.

Looking across Soudley Pools towards the promontory fort, which is in the trees, centre.

The northeastern flank, looking NW. The interior of the fort is at the top of the slope on the left.

The northeastern flank, looking SE. There appears to be an outer bank (left of centre) set into the natural slope, with the fort above the slope on the right.

The steep drop from the northeast side of the promontory.

Looking northwest from the bank.

Looking southwest across the ditch from the bank.

Southern part of the bank and ditch.

Approaching the bank of the promontory fort from the southwest.

The hillfort, centre, seen from Crippets to the west.

The barrow seen through the trees from the Cotswolds Way.

Looking northeast towards Crippets.

Eastern rampart, looking north.

The view from Barrow Wake, as the works to re-route the A417 carry on below.

Birdlip Camp is the wooded promontory in the centre. To the right are High Brotheridge (hillfort) and Cooper’s Hill (cross-dyke) with Robin’s Wood Hill beyond, further to the right. Seen from Barrow Wake.

Come for the earthwork, stay for the wonderful Spring flora (woods at the western end of the dyke).

The eastern section of the dyke in its clearing.

Looking west along dyke from near the east end. The ditch can be seen on the left.

The middle of the dyke, looking east.

Looking east along the dyke from the western end.

The western end of the dyke.

Someone clearly takes care of this site and has put in this neat little path across the interior of the enclosure.

The northern corner of the enclosure.

Bank and ditch.

Looking along the northwestern bank, with external ditch on the left.

Approaching the little enclosure from the northwest.

Ramparts at the eastern end of the fort.

Southeastern ramparts.

Looking south along the inner western rampart.

Outer earthworks on the southwest side of the fort.

Approaching from the southwest; I haven’t come from this direction before.

Retrospective view of Craig-yr-Aderyn’s amazing profile, centre, from the road to Bryncrug to the southwest. The fort occupies the lower summit on the left, the cairn is on the higher summit on the right. The crag enclosure tops the smaller crag in between the two summits.

Northeastern rampart.

The well-preserved northeastern rampart. Tarrenhendre is the conical summit on the left skyline.

Looking southwest along the Dysynni valley towards the coast. The prominent hill in the distance just to the right of centre is Tal-y-Garreg, with two forts of its own.

Looking northeast along the Dysynni valley towards the wonderful peaks of Cadair Idris.

Looking over the ramparts towards the summit of the hill, surmounted by cairn, with the crag enclosure in front of it.

Remains of stone ramparts.

Through the door of the birds, where the breeze breaks...

The fort from the southeast. The stone ramparts can be seen around the base of the conical summit.

Tal-y-Garreg is top left skyline, seen along the Dysynni valley from Craig-yr-Aderyn (Birds’ Rock). The high ridge over on the right skyline is Allt Lwyd, which has a number of Bronze Age cairns.

Looking down on the crag enclosure (foreground with quartz bands) and the hillfort from the summit cairn.