Pen y Gaer facts for kids

Pen y Gaer from the west

Pen y Gaer from the north

Pen y Gaer (also called Pen-y-gaer) is an ancient place in Wales. It's where you can find the remains of a hillfort. This hillfort was used a very long time ago, during the Bronze Age and Iron Age. It is close to a village called Llanbedr-y-Cennin in the Conwy valley.

A hillfort is like an old castle built on a hill. People chose this spot because it was naturally easy to defend. It was used for a very long time. This means people kept changing and adding to its defenses over many years.

What You Can See at Pen y Gaer

Today, you can still see parts of this ancient site. Most of what remains is from the Iron Age. But there are also older parts from the Bronze Age.

Bronze Age Discoveries

On the north-west side of the hill, there are two cairns. A cairn is a pile of stones. These cairns were built during the Bronze Age. People also found old field systems nearby. These were used by people who lived there long ago.

Iron Age Defenses

The hillfort had two strong stone walls. You can still see parts of these walls today. There are also remains of a special defense called a chevaux-de-frise. This was a barrier made of sharp stakes or stones. It was designed to stop enemies, especially horse riders.

Later Changes

Some parts of the site were changed later. On the south-eastern slopes, you can see more earthworks. These were probably built during the Middle Ages. This shows that Pen y Gaer was important for a very long time.

Visiting Pen y Gaer

The main entrance to the hillfort is on the west side. You can get there from a car park. The car park is reached by a road from the village. It's a great place to imagine what life was like thousands of years ago.