Carn Fadryn is a five-hectare Iron Age hill fort and is the name of the hill on which the fort is situated. It lies in the centre of the Llŷn Peninsula, Gwynedd, and overlooks Garnfadryn village.
There seems to be two phases of ancient hillfort building on Carn Fadryn, followed by a mediæval fortification of the summit. The first period at Carn Fadryn at about 300 BC. Enclosed the summit and an area of some 12 acres (49,000 m2).
These were re-fortified during a second period, and enclosed a wider area towards the north of a total of about 26 acres (110,000 m2). This second period of reinforcement being at around 100 BC.
The third fort which strengthens the natural crag near the summit is thought to be “the castle of the sons of Owain”, mentioned in 1188 as being newly built. (Giraldi Cambrensis Opera (Rolls series, 1868), VI, p123 ‘dua castra lapidea de nova sita fuerunt; unum…Deutrait; alterum…in capite Lhein, quod erat filium Oenei, cui nomen Karnmadrun.’)
On a clear day views from Garn Fadryn stretch to Anglesey, Snowdonia, most of Cardigan Bay and even the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland.
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