Come and join us on our Walks and Talks Programme for 2025, free of charge, guided by experts who will lead you around a selection of walks in different areas of Wales, covering many different periods and types of historic and archaeological sites.
Saturday 6th September 2025: Llanmelin Hillfort and Gray Hill Stone Circle, Monmouthshire
Leader: Sian Rees
Start: 11.00 (Llanmelin) and 2.30 (Gray Hill – weather dependent)
Llanmelin hillfort, situated on high ground north of Caerwent Roman town, is a fine Iron Age fort with an unusual outwork extending the defences within two parallel banks divided into a smaller series of enclosures. In a clearing surrounded by woodland, the site is in State guardianship, accessible along a level path through the trees. In 2012 excavations explored the entrance and inner bank, built of limestone quarried from the ditch, and the interior of the main enclosure, which revealed a large midden deposit, post holes (perhaps the sites of structures used to dry and store grain) and gullies that may be the remains of round houses, typical of the Iron Age.
The animal bone shows that cattle was the most common species recovered with some sheep or goat and pig as well as a few fragments of dog, horse and red deer; further analysis may tell us more about husbandry practices, such as whether the cattle were being killed at a young age for meat production or allowed to mature as dairy cows. The pottery suggest that the site was occupied during the middle Iron Age, between 400 and 100BC. There was also relatively intense activity in the main enclosure during the first century AD, suggesting that Llanmelin was occupied at the time the Roman army arrived in Wales. The discovery of a small Roman copper-alloy nail cleaner of the end of the 1st/ early 2nd century AD suggests contact with the Romans.
Gray Hill Stone Circle, an atmospheric Bronze Age site in rough moorland, was once surrounded by other prehistoric megalithic structures now hidden beneath trees. One large standing stone, 14 other smaller and one supine stone form a circle from which a stone row, large invisible in the undergrowth, leads northwards from the circle.
The site is approached via a steep path which is extremely rough; the visit is weather dependent, as, in the rain, the path is well nigh impassable.
Meet at 11.00 at West Gate car park in Caerwent and we will drive, sharing cars, to the small car parking facility for the hillfort, whence we can walk for 15 minutes to the site.
13.00 – We can then return to Caerwent for lunch (Coach and Horses pub at East Gate, or bring your own picnic) after which we can decide on the suitability of the weather for the afternoon walk to the stone circle.
Book with Sian Rees – richardavent@hotmail.com for further guidance.
Saturday 13th September 2025: Caergwrle Castle Anglo-Welsh/Marches
Leader Rachel Swallow
Join Dr Rachel Swallow of Swallowtail Archaeology—renowned as the Queen of Lost Castles—for a Walk and Talk at Caergwrle Castle, Flintshire, on the Welsh border.
Duration: from 2–4 pm. The 3 km (1.8 mile) route that we will take is of medium difficulty, with some steep slopes.
Set within the earthworks of a likely Roman or post-Roman hillfort, Caergwrle reveals a rich, multi-period past. Built in 1278 by Dafydd ap Gruffydd, it was the last stone castle built by a native Welsh prince. It was never rebuilt after a fire in 1283, therefore largely preserving its original Welsh character.
We will explore the castle’s form and siting through architecture, archaeology, history, and landscape, and consider how the unfulfilled plans of Queen Eleanor of Castile—queen consort of Edward I—could well have reshaped this powerful setting. Discover how legend, lady, and landscape converge in this remarkable borderland site.
For more information, and to reserve your place on this Walk and Talk, please contact Rachel direct on rachel@swallowtailarchaeology.co.uk
Saturday 20th September 2025: Mynydd Drumau Prehistoric ritual landscape, Neath, West Glamorgan
Leader: Edith Evans
This upland walk will explore some recently discovered cupmarked stones, along with Cefn Bica standing stone and cairn, components of an important prehistoric ritual landscape. We will take advantage of the lower autumn sun which should help in providing shadow to accentuate the cupmarks.
For more details about parking, timing and duration, please contact edith.evans@heneb.org.uk
Sunday October 19th 2025: Buckholt Bryngaer Hillfort, Monmouthshire
Leaders: Jan Bailey (Walk) and Katie Churchill (Hilltop tour)
Start at 11.00, return to start by 4.00, bring your own lunch.
This walk will visit the Buckholt Bryngaer Hillfort, north of Monmouth. In 2024 The Buckholt Bryngaer CIC and the National Lottery Heritage Fund sponsored a community excavation on a post medieval cottage and Iron Age hillfort enclosure and ditches. It soon became apparent that this hitherto overlooked site is hiding many secrets, including a significant Neolithic camp, a possible Bronze Age barrow, Iron Age hillfort, medieval settlement and a charcoal burning industry; a truly multi-period site. The work has created much interest from archaeologists from Cadw and Amgueddfa Cymru, but essentially remains a community excavation, led by Katie, who will show us around the main features of the site. Depending on funding, the walk may coincide with the end of the 2025 excavation.
The site, overlooking the confluence of the Wye and Monnow, is the perfect place for this scenic walk over forest tracks and footpaths. It is not too steep for the most part, but is not suitable for wheelchairs, pushchairs or people with limited mobility. Depending on numbers, remote parking and access to site will be arranged.
Booking is essential and should be made by 12 October (to give time to make access arrangements) to Secretary@maa.wales when further details of meeting points etc will be given.