Crug Hywel is an

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

hillfort A hillfort is a type of fortification, fortified refuge or defended settlement located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typical of the late Bronze Age Europe, European Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe, Iron Age. So ...

, with a clearly visible earth and stone ditch and rampart. Crug Hywel is approached by a couple of public footpaths across farmland from Crickhowell and

Llanbedr Llanbedr () is a village and Community (Wales), community south of Harlech. Administratively, it lies in the Ardudwy area, formerly Meirionnydd, of the county of Gwynedd, Wales. In 2011 the community had a population of 645. History Ancient ...

and visited by the Beacons Way. It lies within an area designated as open country over which the public have the right to roam. The name is sometimes given to the flat-topped hill itself, which is also called Table Mountain in English. Located at the southern edge of the Black Mountains in south-east

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

, it rises to 451 m above sea level, from the southern flank of

Pen Cerrig-calch Pen Cerrig-calch is a spur (mountain), subsidiary summit of Waun Fach in the Black Mountains, Wales, Black Mountains in the Brecon Beacons National Park in southern Powys, Wales. Its summit, at a height of 701 m (2,300 ft), is marked b ...

(701 m), and overlooks the town of Crickhowell, whose name derives from Crug Hywel. The Welsh name Mynydd y Begwn is also used for this summit. As a result, it has been suggested that the name Crug Hywel (which means 'Hywel's mound') may originally have referred to the castle mound in Crickhowell.

Geology

The hill is formed from Old Red Sandstone originating in the

Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a period (geology), geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system of the Paleozoic era (geology), era during the Phanerozoic eon (geology), eon, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the preceding Silurian per ...

period, specifically the sandstones of the Brownstones Formation, topped by rocks of the Quartz Conglomerate Group. The whole mass of rocks forming this outlier of Pen Cerrig-calch can readily be seen to dip more sharply to the south than nearby strata and is considered to be an excellent example of a translational slide.Barclay, W.J. & Wilby, P.R. 2003,''Geology of the Talgarth district'', BGS 1:50K map geological sheet explanation

References

External links

Aerial photograph of Crug Hywel
(Casglu'r Tlysau)
3D model of Crug Hywel hillfort
Black Mountains, Wales Archaeological sites in Powys Hillforts in Powys Mountains and hills of Powys Archaeological sites in the Brecon Beacons National Park Hillforts in the Brecon Beacons National Park Mountains and hills of the Brecon Beacons National Park {{Powys-geo-stub

Geology

See also

References

External links