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Dinas Dinlle is a hillfort in Gwynedd, north-west Wales.
The cliff above the beach is known as Boncan Dinas and is occupied by an Iron Age hillfort, Dinas Dinlle itself. This fort has been eroded by the sea, such that only a double semi-circular rampart remains. Finds of Roman Empire pottery suggest reoccupation in the 2nd or 3rd centuries CE. The fort is now (after centuries of erosion from the west) about 150 metres from north to south, 110 metres east to west, with an entrance on the south west. Royal Commission of the Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales Dinas Dinlle (site 95309) accessed March 2013
Archaeological excavations at Dinas Dinlle in 2019 and 2022 found the remains of structures inside the hillfort. These included a stone-built roundhouse, 13 metres in diameter, with walls more than 2 metres thick, and threshold slabs of quarried slate. It is thought to be the largest roundhouse in Wales. The excavations also found Roman coins and pottery dating from around 200CE to 300CE. Dinas Dinlle dig uncovers Iron Age roundhouse and Roman coins. Beach erosion plan unveiled (BBC News, 20 August 2019) The survey with ground-penetrating radar found several round houses and yards connected to the entrance by cobbled roadways.The hillforts of Wales. Toby Driver 2023. Logaston Press ISBN 978-1-910838-67-6. p.37 The archaeological work was undertaken by the Gwynedd Archaeological Trust and the RCAHMW with funding from the European Union 'CHERISH' project.
Erosion by the sea is a substantial problem. A groyne was built in 1994 to alleviate the problem; by 2013 it was thought to have made the situation worse. The height of the groyne was to be reduced and the large boulders removed. This was important to preserve the beach and the Wales Coast Path. Dinas Dinlle beach erosion plan unveiled, BBC News, February 2013, accessed 8 March 2013
A small airport, Caernarfon Airport, is some 2km to the north. During the Second World War this was an RAF base but now it is mainly used for flying lessons, pleasure flights, and the Air Ambulance. A caravan park is nearby.
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