DIN LLIGWY

A Romano-British Settlement
Close to Lligwy Beach

Din Lligwy is set on the top of a hill that would once have overlooked the entire countryside and sea in the Lligwy area.

When you visit the hut settlement today, you'll inevitably be delighted by the ambience created by the Ash and Sycamore trees that surround most of the site.

This hut circle is a settlement that served as home for Iron Age Britons and later as a Roman estate.

Its presence acts as a bridge between Anglesey's Druids, Invading Romans and the sustaining of Lligwy's Christian traditions.

CONTENTS

WHAT'S THE DIN IN LLIGWY?

BRITONS, THEN THE ROMANS

OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY

GETTING TO THE LLIGWY AREA

Din Lligwy - Anglesey

WHAT'S THE DIN IN LLIGWY?

Spring through Summer this ancient site emanates an idyllic and peaceful sensibility.
However, at the time any trees would have obscured the view and denied full view for security reasons. After all, the Iron Age and Roman (Romano-British) period was quite brutal and people gathered in numbers into structured communities to protect their goods and general well-being.
This hut settlement is surrounded by a wall that would have been about 5 feet wide at its thickest, most solid. The wall is constructed of two rows of large limestone blocks which would have been filled in with rubble.
This wall is called a Din, hence the name Din Lligwy.

Din Lligwy - Anglesey

It has been proposed that this wall would not have served as sufficient defence should the settlement be attacked at any time.
There again, being a Roman Estate, it would be highly unlikely that any local brigands would launch an assault. What fool would willingly invite Roman retaliation?
The enclosed settlement is about half an acre in area and contains two different style of building: circular and rectangular.
In all probability the circular buildings would have been for accommodation in the Iron Age tradition. The rectangular buildings, on the other hand, are most certainly of Roman construction and purely functional, as workshops.

Din Lligwy - Anglesey

You will find placards on the Din Lligwy site that offer a pictorial representation of how people would have lived and worked within the enclosed settlement.

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BRITONS, THEN ROMANS, THEN ROMANO-BRITONS

It is not only the evidence of circular huts that suggests that this was an Iron Age Settlement.
Archaeological finds at the site support the proposal by comparison with artefacts discovered at similar Iron Age sites elsewhere on Anglesey and the British Isles.
Roman occupation has been established from archaeological finds of Roman coins.
Evidence indicating that the workshops were active was found when the rectangular huts were first cleared in 1905. The remains of slag piles indicate that smelting occurred here for manufacturing iron.
It is believed that two rectangular huts contained six smelting hearths.

Din Lligwy - Anglesey

Interestingly, it has been further proposed that the coal that would have been used as heat generating fuel for the smelting was brought from Flintshire.
I believe that I have written elsewhere on Anglesey Hidden Gem that once the Roman had conquered and subdued rebellion, they would scour the surrounding area for resources and materials that would support the Roman occupation.
Iron an obvious and vital component of Roman power.
Back to the coal issue, unknown to the Romans there was a source of coal on Anglesey. It could have been found on the marsh (Y Gors) at Holland Arms.
It was, however, not discovered until more than a thousand years later.
You can see the large rectangular tower as you cross the marsh. It did not really flourish even in its heyday, as it was a drift mine and subject to continued threat of flooding from the surrounding marsh.
Nonetheless, the bringing of the coal from Flintshire is a solid indicator of the organisational skills of the Romans.

Din Lligwy - Anglesey

Most of the building remains at Din Lligwy date back to the 4th Century, during the period of Roman occupation of Mona (Anglesey) and most of Britain.
Compare these stone circles with the Iron Age settlement created at Llynnon Mill. at Llanddeusant.
The only difference between the buildings at both these sites is the manufacture of the stone walls. The roofing would be thatching in both cases.
For those who have researched Din Lligwy archaeologically, this similarity indicates that there was an Iron Age settlement here before the Romans arrived to defeat the Druids.
Mind you, it took the Romans two goes to overwhelm and destroy the Druidic culture on Anglesey.

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Din Lligwy - Anglesey

OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY

The land falls gently down to the sea in this area of Anglesey.
From Benllech Beach in the south all the way up to Dulas Beach, the Anglesey Coastal path presents you with a gentle, beautiful amble.
Bring a picnic with you. Good thing about picnics - especially if you're walking - is that you can eat your burden and burn calories at the same time.
The paths in the two images above lead you up to the Din Lligwy Settlement hut circles.
Where you go from here is a delight that you can choose for yourself. However, do take your time and visit the Lligwy Chapel of Ease, which dates back to the 12th Century.
About a half mile up the road is the Lligwy Neolithic Burial Chamber.
Then, after an exhausting day's archaelogy, go down to Lligwy Beach and lie back against the softest sand dunes imaginable. It's about half a mile down the road. Blinkin' Flip! you don't need any map. It's over there. Look!

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Din Lligwy - Anglesey

GETTING TO THE MOELFRE / LLIGWY AREA

Easy as falling into a bog!

Go to my MAP & WEATHER Page and then follow these simple instructions below:
P.S. The Map will open in another window for ease of inspection

Find Benllech and head north toward Molefre.
Arrive at the Moelfre Roundabout. The map will show it as Llanallgo
You can't miss it. It's the roundabout with the Big Anchor bang in the middle of it.
Instead of turning down right for the village of Moelfre go straight across and down the narrow road.
Follow this road for a mile or so until you see sign for Lligwy Burial Chamber on your right. Have a look.
About a half mile ahead you'll come over the brow of a hill and see a parking space on your left. Park here.
You'll see the Lligwy Chapel of Ease standing proud and alone in a field.
Now getting to Din Lligwy. Down into the field and follow the left hedgerow into the next field and skirt round the bottom of the wooded hill. You'll see the steps in the twin images above. Follow these.
EASY!