The Nipple!

The weather was a bit sun and showers till mid-day, but this afternoon the sun came out and it was a bit more like summer should be. I haven't done an aerial image for a while so I was determined to get a flight in.

The blip photo is of Twmbarlwm Mound, an Iron age hillfort near Risca, known locally as 'The Nipple' for obvious reasons! We have walked to the top of it from our house but it's quite a trek over a few hours via our local mountain at Machen.

The hillfort was at the heart of the territory of the Silurian Celts, the dominant Celtic tribe of this area. It was probably constructed between 500 and 150 BC, the site being chosen due to it’s strong defensive position with very steep slopes on all sides, and it’s excellent view of the surrounding area and the Bristol Channel where any approaching threat could easily be seen.

The origin of the mound at the eastern end of Twmbarlwm remains a mystery. It may have been a Roman signal tower, erected after the Romans defeated the Celtic Silures of the area. The hill fort is likely to have played a major role during the Roman’s invasion of the area, and while it is thought that it was not permanently inhabited, it would certainly have been a place of refuge during times of conflict.

Here's a link to a photo I took a couple of miles away! here