Hen Gaer facts for kids
Looking north-east across Hen Gaer
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 Location in Ceredigion
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| Location | Near Bow Street, Ceredigion, Wales |
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| Coordinates | 52°26′25″N 4°00′46″W / 52.4403°N 4.0127°W |
| Type | Hillfort |
| History | |
| Periods | Iron Age |
Hen Gaer is an ancient place called a hillfort from the Iron Age period. It sits on a hill next to and east of Bow Street, Ceredigion, in Wales. People also know this hillfort by other names like Broncastellan and Caer Shon.
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What is Hen Gaer?
Hen Gaer means "Old Castle." It is a special kind of ancient fort built on a hill. While it's smaller than some other big tribal forts, it was very well protected.
How was it defended?
The hillfort had strong defenses. It had a single rampart, which is like a big wall or bank of earth. This rampart was about 12 meters (about 39 feet) wide. It stood 3 to 4 meters (about 10 to 13 feet) high above the inside of the fort.
Outside the rampart, there was a ditch dug into the rock. On the north-east side, you can still see carefully placed stone blocks. These were part of the original rampart wall.
The Main Entrance and a Mysterious Mound
The main way to get into Hen Gaer was on its west side. Outside this entrance, there is a circular mound. Experts believe this mound was not an older burial site. Instead, it was probably another part of the fort's defenses.
Why was Hen Gaer built here?
The fort's enclosed area includes part of the southern hillside. It is thought that this was done on purpose. It made the hillfort easy to see from the narrow valley below. This valley is where the Afon Stewi and Nant Seilo rivers meet to form the Afon Clarach. Being visible from the valley was important for showing strength and controlling the area.
