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Foel Trigarn is a famous multivallate Iron Age hillfort and landmark in the east of the Preseli Hills. Experts have identified 3 main enclosures as well as at least 227, possibly 270, sites of Iron Age dwellings. Ditches can be clearly made out by a layman. Though Foel Trigarn is thought to have been a major centre of population, possibly the headquarters of a tribal leader, it is not considered likely that these dwelling sites were all occupied simultaneously, but over many centuries. In short, this was probably a prehistoric village. Three enormous cairns on the summit give the hill its name. These are believed to be communal Bronze Age burial mounds. Because they are believed not have been plundered, it has been concluded that those that lived on Foel Trigarn venerated their ancestors and that the hill may well have been a sacred site. Both Iron Age and Roman artefacts have been found.
Post code approximate. Access by foot only wearing suitable clothing. Parking in a layby on a nearby road.
Fort George was built in the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden (1746), to help control any future Jacobite rebellions in the Highlands. In the event, no threat materialised and Fort George became a base for the British Army – and remains so to this day. It welcomes visitors, however, and there is much to see – from historic barracks to the chapel – and walking round the ramparts. It’s a massive and literally awesome place, built on a point extending into the Moray Firth, where it is possible to see dolphins playing.
Fort George was built by the Adams family of architects to a pattern replicated in other locations around the world. It took 22 years to build. It also houses the Highlanders Museum, which contains a wealth of information and fascinating artefacts associated with the Highland regiments within the British Army.
Nr Inverness
Concern about Britain's defences and fear of French invasion in the 1860s resulted in the construction of a string of massive forts protecting Portsmouth, the Royal Navy's premier south coast base. The forts were based on cutting edge Victorian military design and could even defend against a force attacking from inland. In the event, the threat never materialised and the forts were thereafter named, 'Palmerston's Follies', after the Prime Minister of the day. Fort Nelson has been restored and houses the Royal Armouries' artillery collection - big guns! Ramparts, tunnels and bunkers are also there to be explored.
Fareham
Framlingham is a late 12th century castle once owned by the Earls and Dukes of Norfolk. By the mid 16th century, it was in the hands of Mary Tudor, elder daughter of Henry VIII, and it was here that she gathered support and heard that she had been proclaimed queen in 1553. In the 17th century it became the local poorhouse. The imposing walls of the castle are still pretty much standing, though the other medieval buildings have gone. Unusually, it is possible to walk right round the walls at Framlingham, giving marvellous views. There is also a small exhibition on site and an interesting local museum, the Lanman Trust's Museum.
Framlingham
The multivallate Iron Age hillfort of Garn Fawr on the Pencaer/Strumble Head peninsula dominates the surrounding landscape, which is peppered with prehistoric remains. At 699 feet (213m), Garn Fawr is the highest point on the peninsula and there are spectacular views from the top. The craggy terrain was formed more than 440 million years ago by intrusive vulcanicity, giving Garn Fawr a tor-like appearance. Drystone walls link rocky outcrops to form boundaries and ramparts. There is also a WW1 lookout post on the summit, from which the nearby smaller fort of Garn Fechan to the east is easily visible. There is an easy walk to the fort from a car park and a shortish circular route takes you around the landscape, past another feature, Ysgubor Caer, and an abandoned cottage that once belonged to the artist John Piper. Extend your walk to the promontory fort of Dinas Mawr.
Post code is for guidance only. Take a minor road north from Harmony to the car park.
Goodwick
Glamis Castle has been described as the most beautiful castle in Scotland. Ancestral seat to the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne since 1372, the current fairy-tale building is largely 18th C. It was the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the childhood home of HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, birthplace of HRH The Princess Margaret and still remains a family home. It is packed full of history and legends, including the ‘Monster of Glamis’ and the story that an entire family remains walled up somewhere in its 16-foot-thick (4.9 m) walls. A seat in the chapel is reserved for the ghost of a young lady. Visits to the castle are by guided tour and take in selected rooms where you will hear tales of Mary, Queen of Scots, James V, the Old Jacobite Pretender to the throne James VIII and the allegedly licentious Mary Eleanor Bowes. Outside are extensive grounds, which include a nature trail, a Macbeth trail, a walled garden and an Italian garden. There is a play park, café/restaurant, shop and events are held at various times. Private tours of Glamis can be arranged and it is also available for weddings and corporate events.
Harlech Castle was built in a spectacular position atop a sheer rocky crag, the peaks of Snowdonia behind and the Irish Sea (now a little distant) lapping in front. Thanks to the ‘Way from the Sea’, a path of 108 steps cut into the rock face, besieged defenders could be kept supplied by ship, as indeed they were during the siege of Madog ap Llewelyn in 1294-5. The castle took seven years to build under the guidance of master mason James of St George, who was also responsible for three of Edward I’s other castles in North Wales - Conwy, Caernarfon and Beaumaris; together, the four are a designated World Heritage Site.
Harlech Castle fell to Owain Glyndŵr, the last native Welsh Prince of Wales, in 1404, becoming his headquarters until 1409, when it was recaptured by the English. The Lancastrians held the castle during the Wars of the Roses, until surrendering to the Yorkists in 1468; during the English Civil War it was held by Royalists until, in 1647, the garrison surrendered to Parliamentary forces.
Hever Castle dates from the 13th century and, famously, was once home to the Bullen, or Boleyn, family. Anne Boleyn spent part of her childhood here. After the Boleyns fell from favour, Henry VIII gave Hever to Anne of Cleves. It passed through various hands until being acquired by the American millionaire, William Waldorf Astor, in the early 20th century. Hever Castle and its grounds today is really his creation. He renovated the castle and created a lake, maze and Italian garden.
The castle and grounds are open to the public and also house the museum of the Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry. Hever additionally offers accommodation, golf and conference facilities.
Nr Edenbridge
Preserved cold war bunker designed to help continue some semblance of government following nuclear attack. Also known as 'the secret nuclear bunker'. Not recommended.
Kelvedon Hatch
Once a royal castle, and a favourite residence of Lancastrian kings. But Kenilworth is associated by the majority of people with the Elizabethan era, when it was owned by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, the queen's favourite. Though Kenilworth Castle is mostly ruined now, some rooms can still be seen, together with period fittings and furnishings. The site is enormous and impressive, and now includes an Elizabethan garden.
Castle Road
Kenilworth
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