Llyn Cerrig Bach

Llyn Cerrig Bach is a small lake on the west side of Anglesey, between the villages of Rhosneigr and Valley. The water lies beside Cors yr Ynys bog, where peat was once cut for spreading on sandy ground. In 1942 workmen preparing a runway extension for RAF Valley pulled up an iron slave gang chain caught in a harrow. The chain is over three metres long, carries five neck-rings and weighs 6.66 kilograms. Archaeologists soon found many more broken weapons, tools and ornaments in the peat. The finds number 181 artefacts, mostly iron but some bronze or copper. They include seven swords, six spearheads, shield fragments, a bronze trumpet and parts of two cauldrons. Blacksmith’s tools, wagon tyre pieces and horse gear were also recovered, along with iron bars used in trade and animal bones. Most objects appear to have been deliberately broken before being placed in the lake as offerings. Some were made locally, others came from Ireland or southern England, showing the site’s wide fame. Visitors today see the lake and its boggy margins where the discoveries were made. The National Museum of Wales in Cardiff holds almost all the objects, though four remain on Anglesey at Oriel Ynys Môn. The collection spans from about 300 BC to AD 100, with items added over many generations. The iron slave chain remains the most striking piece, a reminder of the rituals once performed at this quiet spot.