Penycloddiau

Penycloddiau is a hill in Flintshire, Wales, and one of five Marilyns in the Clwydian Range.

Penycloddiau
Penycloddiau hill fort
Highest point
Elevation	440 m (1,440 ft)[1]
Prominence	156 m (512 ft)
Parent peak	Moel Famau
Listing	Marilyn
Naming
English translation	hill of the trenches
Language of name	Welsh
Pronunciation	Welsh: [pɛnəˈklɔðjai]
Geography
Location	Flintshire, Wales
Parent range	Clwydian Range
OS grid	SJ127678[1]
Topo map	OS Landranger 116[1]

The hill, like Foel Fenlli and Moel Arthur to the south, has an Iron Age hillfort at its summit.^[2] It covers 26 hectares (64 acres) making it one of the largest hillforts in Wales.^[2] In 2017, excavations by the Clywdian Range Archaeology Group (CRAG) unearthed a significant number of 4,000-year-old stone tools from the Bronze Age, the discovery indicates human activity occurred much earlier than first thought in the area.^[3]

Penycloddiau is crossed by the Offa's Dyke Path and the Clwydian Way, two long distance footpaths that traverse the hills in this area. A free car park exists at the bwlch between Penycloddiau and Moel Arthur, where two footpaths lead to the summit.^[4]

Gallery

• 
  A view of the outer defence wall at Penycloddiau hill fort
• 
  The Offa's Dyke Path climbs Penycloddiau from the east

See also

• List of hillforts in Wales