Holyhead Mountain Hut Circles facts for kids

One of the circular huts

The Holyhead Mountain Hut Circles are the remains of very old homes. People also call them Cytiau'r Gwyddelod, which means "Irishmen's Huts." These ancient buildings are found near Trearddur on Holy Island, Anglesey, in Wales. You can visit this amazing historical site all year round. It is looked after by Cadw, a Welsh heritage organization.

Discovering the Holyhead Huts

The Holyhead Mountain Hut Circles are located on a flat area. This area stretches across the southwest part of Holyhead Mountain. It's a great spot to imagine what life was like long ago!

How Old Are These Huts?

It's not exactly clear how old these huts are. Many experts believe they were used during the Iron Age. However, people might have lived here for a very long time. This could have been from the Neolithic period (New Stone Age) all the way to the Dark Ages. Different huts were probably used at different times throughout history.

What Did the Huts Look Like?

When people first explored the site in 1860, they found over fifty buildings. Later, between 1978 and 1982, more studies were done. About twenty of these huts have been rebuilt so we can see them today.

Each hut likely had a cone-shaped roof. This roof was supported by poles and sat on a low stone wall. The roofs were probably covered with turf or straw.

Different Kinds of Huts

The huts were not all the same!

• Some were homes, mostly round in shape. These had fireplaces, small storage areas, and stone troughs for water.
• Others were oval-shaped and had a wall inside, dividing the space.
• Some huts had long passages leading into them.
• Smaller huts might have been used for storage or as workshops.
• One building even had a walled area next to it, perhaps for animals.

What Did They Find Inside?

Archaeologists found many interesting things at the site. They discovered pieces of a stone axe and arrowheads made of flint. They also found broken pieces of pottery from the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age. In one hut, they even found some Roman coins hidden away! These finds help us learn about the people who lived here.

Visiting the Ancient Site

The Holyhead Mountain Hut Circles are some of the best-preserved ancient huts in Wales. It's a fantastic place to explore history!

How to Get There

The settlement is southeast of the South Stack Lighthouse. You can find a small car park across the road. This car park is provided by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

When Can You Visit?

The site is open to everyone, and it's free to enter! It's open all year round. However, it is closed on December 24th, 25th, and 26th, and on New Year's Day. You can get into the site by crossing a stone stile over a wall.

Images for kids

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  Long passage into one of the huts

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  Similar passageway into a rectangular hut

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  One of the highest huts, going up, onwards to Mynydd Twr

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  Large boulders can be found here and there

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  Around six huts can be seen here, in their location c. 300 meters above sea level

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  The walls were at one time much higher