The hillforts of Wales
Earlier this month I was contacted by WalesOnline asking about hillforts.
Literally. I had a short but sweet message asking me to get in touch and simply stating: “It’s about hillforts.”
It’s about hillforts.
This email arrived at a really important point in my hillfort-related life. Actually, a really important point in my life in general. I got the email the day after I had submitted by PhD thesis, all on hillforts. Yes- I FINALLY DID IT!
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- My thesis
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- At Bangor University
Needless to say, I was delighted to be asked and even more delighted to talk about my favourite subject. After six years and five months (to be precise…) working on my research in my spare time, on top of a full-time job has been a task and a half. But I still adore my hillforts!
Reporter James McCarthy had heard about the Hillfort Atlas Project and was doing a feature on WalesOnline on hillforts in Wales. WalesOnline is part of MediaWales which publishes the Western Mail, Wales on Sunday and lots of other publications people in Wales know and love. WalesOnline website in particular does some superb features I have really enjoyed reading.
James also spoke to Prof. Gary Lock at Oxford University, who led on the Hillfort Atlas Project and has been digging for the last few years at one of my hillforts in Denbighshire. One of my colleagues from my ‘day job’, Gwilym Hughes, Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments for Wales, also contributed, alongside Adam Gwilt from National Museum Wales. Wow- I was in great company!
I love the introduction to my ‘bit’:
Erin Lloyd-Jones is an archaeologist specialising in hillforts in Wales.
She loves them so much she uses the Twitter handle @erinhillforts.
Below is a snippet from the article, the full version of which you can read at: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/hillforts-iron-age-wales-might-13452999
The hillforts of Iron Age Wales and why they might have been built
There are more than a thousand throughout the country.
Thousands of years after they were built the mysteries of Iron Age hillforts are shrouded in the mists of time.
More than 1,000 are scattered around Wales. Some are barely noticeable. The enormous earthwork remains of others evoke the magic of The Hobbit.
There are huge ones on the Welsh borders. The mountainous interior has few examples.
In the west are many smaller hillforts or defended farms.
In the north-west the common building material was stone and the ramparts are well preserved.