Cliff Hotel

Castell Henllys

by illumina

Hillforts occur in great numbers in West Wales. These are often smaller than the great hillforts of southern England, but there are many more of them. The best-known, and the most extensively excavated, is Castell Henllys, where Harold Mytum has not only excavated most of the interior - this Iron Age site has been the subject of an ongoing excavation for more than twenty years - but also an exercise in reconstruction archaeology whereby experiments in prehistoric farming have been practised. Four roundhouses and a granary have been reconstructed on their original Iron Age foundations

I was lucky enough to visit Castell Henllys on a trip as part of my archaeology degree, and had a great time wandering around looking at the Soay sheep, and sitting in a roundhouse listening to my lecturers.

Take the A487 from Newport to Cardigan. About 6.4km from Newport, the site is signposted. Turn left to get to site car park and the site is only a 100m walk.

From Cardigan to New Quay

by Spincat

"surviving the floods"

October was one of the warmest autumns on record...

End of November was bright and clear...

Unoftunately we stayed in this beautifully restored Romany caravan in * early* November, during some of the wettest weather I've experienced.

Our vardo and accompanying cabin was snug and dry, although the waters rose to within a foot of the van.

So.... we didn't see as much of the countryside as I'd have liked.

I had happy childhood memories of this part of the world ( the kind of memories where the sun is always shining!) so I was taken aback to find gales and sheets of rain. Remember - November.....

Wonderful beaches, beautiful wooded countryside along the banks of the river Teifi, charming towns and villages.

Dylan Thomas once lived in New Quay and you can drink in the pubs he once frequented; we took refuge in one for quite some time, during the height of the rain. Wander round its pretty harbour and terraces. You might even see seals and dolphins and otters along the coast here.

Cardigan bay is a great sweep of coastline between the two 'sticky-out bits' of Wales : 40 miles of largely unspoilt coastline. Bliss! Out of season you'll be a Robinson Crusoe.

Legend has it that there was once fertile land out in Cardigan bay. One night the sea came in and never went out again. ... now, they do say that on a dark and stormy night you can hear the pealing of the church bells from under the waves...

This is a more recent flood : November 2005