Preseli Hills
Foel Drygarn
A hillfort with three enormous Bronze Age cairns inside its ramparts, at the eastern end of the Preseli ridge. Big views over Pembrokeshire and Cardigan Bay for a modest climb.
- Distance
- 3.1 mi / 5 km
- Time
- 1 hr 50
- Ascent
- 220 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Shape
- There and back
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
Climb from the road onto the open moor and up to the fort. The ramparts and cairns are obvious. Continue west along the ridge if you want a longer day.
Worth knowing
- The three cairns give the hill its name and predate the fort that was built around them.
- This is the eastern end of the Golden Road, the ancient ridge route running the length of the Preselis.
- Open moor with no shelter and few landmarks. Compass in poor visibility.
What you’ll see
Three large cairns, three lines of rampart, and views to Cardigan Bay and the Black Mountain.
Background
The Preseli bluestones at Stonehenge came from these hills, quarried at Carn Goedog and Craig Rhos-y-felin a couple of miles west.