Dinas Mawr, Strumble Head

Dinas Mawr (Great Fort) by Pwllderi Cottages is a promontory fort reckoned to date from the Iron Age and was probably a stronghold of a clan leader. It is situated on the west of the Pencaer Peninsula, generally known as Strumble Head, jutting out into the Irish Sea. The location is stunning, but not for those of a nervous disposition, especially in bad weather. Dinas Mawr is accessible along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path or via a footpath off a minor road. However, laymen will need to search for evidence of the fort. A ditch is clearly visible on the headland between what were stone ramparts, and traces of at least one hut circle can be made out just inside the ramparts. Most of Dinas Mawr comprises a towering lump of rock, however, with severely restricted space for settlement to the east and the south of the crag; the top, surely, would have been too inhospitable. Immediately beyond Dinas Mawr is the islet Ynys y Ddinas. Though a good defensive position, there is no fresh water and it is speculated whether the fort had some ceremonial or ritual purpose, for it cannot have been of much long-term use, or in the event of a prolonged siege. It is a dramatic, lovely, but slightly scary, place. Post code obviously approximate – pinpoint the location on an OS map before travelling.