Moel y Gaer, Bodfari
Encyclopedia
Moel y Gaer is a prehistoric hill fort
at the northern end of the Clwydian Range
, located on a summit overlooking the valley of the River Wheeler, near the village of Bodfari
, Denbighshire
, Wales
. The Offa's Dyke Path
passes along the foot of the hill.
The fort at Moel y Gaer is one of the smallest of the chain of defensive works found along the Clwydians. It probably dates from the Iron Age
, although there is no definitive evidence to establish the exact period during which it was occupied. It has a single entrance on its northern side and is defended by a steep slope on the eastern side of the hill.
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
at the northern end of the Clwydian Range
Clwydian Range
The Clwydian Range is a series of hills and mountains in north east Wales that runs from Llandegla in the south to Prestatyn in the north, with the highest point being the popular Moel Famau...
, located on a summit overlooking the valley of the River Wheeler, near the village of Bodfari
Bodfari
Bodfari is a village in Denbighshire, Wales.- Location :Bodfari is located at approximate grid reference SJ093701. The village lies on the A541 road at the point where the road passes through a gap in the Clwydian Hills, the gap being part of the valley of the River Wheeler .The Offa's Dyke...
, Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The Offa's Dyke Path
Offa's Dyke Path
Offa's Dyke Path is a long distance footpath along the Welsh-English border. Opened in 1971, it is one of Britain's premier National Trails and draws walkers from throughout the world...
passes along the foot of the hill.
The fort at Moel y Gaer is one of the smallest of the chain of defensive works found along the Clwydians. It probably dates from the Iron Age
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
, although there is no definitive evidence to establish the exact period during which it was occupied. It has a single entrance on its northern side and is defended by a steep slope on the eastern side of the hill.