Ffridd Faldwyn, Montgomery

Ffridd Faldwyn is an Iron Age hillfort in Powys, west of Montgomery. It stands on a prominent hill above the River Severn, close to Montgomery Castle. The site is one of the largest hillforts in Wales and is now covered with woodland. A footpath leads from a small road through the overgrown fort down to the main road below. Thomas Pennant described it in 1776 as a ‘stupendous British post’ with great ditches and steep approaches.

The hillfort was surveyed in 1909 by the Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments. Excavations between 1937 and 1939 by B. H. St John O’Neil revealed two main phases of construction. The earliest phase had a small enclosure with timber palisades and a possible Bronze Age mound. Later, the fort was enlarged to cover 4.4 hectares with ramparts up to 8 metres high. Evidence suggests it may have been refurbished during the Roman period.

Visitors follow a footpath through dense beechwood to reach the hilltop. The site shows earthworks and ramparts from different periods, though little remains above ground. Nearby smaller hillforts at Goron Ddu and Giant’s Bank suggest a network of defended settlements. The wooded slopes and river views make the walk atmospheric, even where the original structures are now hidden by trees.