Castell Henllys fort dates back to the Iron Age over 2,000 years ago. It was inhabited from 600BC to the 1st century AD when the fort itself was abandoned but archaeologists have uncovered a small but prosperous settlement nearby which was occupied during the Roman Period. Situated in the shadows of the beautiful rolling Preseli Hills the site today is owned and managed by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority. Based on archaeological evidence some of the roundhouses have been reconstructed on their original foundations.

Set above the beautiful Cwm Duad and surrounded by a majestic landscape there are so many things to enrich your visit to Castell Henllys. Serenaded by birdsong you can stroll along the pathways or bring a picnic lunch to enjoy by the banks of the Nant Duad where you may be one of the lucky few to spot an otter or one of the many squirrels who make the site their home. Follow in the footsteps of our ancestors and make your way to the fort itself. Here you can join one of the two daily guided tours to find out about life in the Iron Age, archaeological discoveries and the work of the National Park Authority or take a seat by the flickering fire in a roundhouse and dream of yesteryear.

Some of the site artefacts discovered by the archaeologists are on display in our award winning Education Centre. You can also sit and watch real time images of the fort or the river, where birds and animals come to drink, on our two widescreen monitors.

No visit is complete without a browse around our gift shop. We stock a range of local, recycled, organic and fair trade goods, crafts, books and gifts along with snacks and drinks. So, before you leave the site, pop in for a souvenir to remember your visit by or that last minute gift for family and friends.

There are events for all the family throughout the season from costumed guided tours, Iron Age activities for children to craft demonstrations. See below for details, dates and times for specific events.
Castell Henllys is open every day between 10.00am and 5.00pm (last ticket sold at 4.30pm) from Easter to the end of October. For details of our winter opening times please phone 01239 891319 or visit our website www.castellhenllys.com

Celtic Fun Activities for Children

Hello kids! Had enough at the beach? Want to do something different? Why not bring your parents to Castell Henllys where they can go on a guided tour of the fort while you can do fun activities with a Celt from the Iron Age. Learn about daily life in a hill fort over 2,000 years ago as you carry out your tasks which include making bread using the flour you grind from wheat grain, spinning wool into yarn or dyeing it using plants. Discover the techniques used to build a roundhouse or help the basket maker weave baskets out of willow. Do you feel brave and strong? Then have your face painted with woad and train to be a warrior in order to protect the fort. If time allows sit around the flickering flames of the fire as you are regaled with tales of bravery and revenge.

Celtic Fun Activities for Children are aimed at 6 – 12 year olds.
Charges: £1.50 per child plus admission fee with a maximum of 20 per session. Booking is advisable on 01239 891319
Two sessions per day: 11.30am – 1.00pm & 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Dates: March 21st, 24th, 25th, 27th, 31st April 1st, 3rd,
            May 26th, 27th & 29th
July 21st, 22nd, 24th, 28th, 29th, 31st & every Monday, Tuesday & Thursday throughout August
October 27th, 28th & 29th

Living in the Past

What was daily life like in an Iron Age hill fort? What were the tasks that women had to carry out to ensure the survival of herself and her family? At Castell Henllys you can meet Arianrhod, a lady from the Iron Age, who will tell you all about her family life and show you around her house. She’ll let you help with the grinding of the grain to make flour in order to produce bread for the evening meal. Watch as she spins wool into yarn and demonstrates how she produces dye for the wool. In her house you can smell, see and touch prehistoric life of over 2,000 years ago.

Dates: Every Tuesday and Thursday from March 20th to October 30th
            May 5th, 26th, July 21st, 28th, August 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th
Time:   11.00am to 4.00pm

Rhonwen’s World

Was the Iron Age very different to today? How did it differ? What did the landscape look like? What gods did the Celts worship and did they make human sacrifice? Which animals did they keep and what crops were grown? If you’d like to know the answers to these questions come and meet Rhonwen a Celtic lady. She will take you on a walk around Castell Henllys while she tells you about prehistoric life, society and religion. For those who’d like to look like an Iron Age warrior have your faces painted with woad. Fun for all the family.

Tours start at 11.00am & 2.30pm at the Time Spiral every Friday from July 25th to August 29th

Discovering the world of nature

At Castell Henllys there is an unseen secret world inhabited by mini-beasts. To learn more about this hidden world why not join a site expedition with our expert ecologist Peter Brown and his assistant. They will take you on a journey of discovery to unearth the mini-beasts who dwell in the woods and lurk at the bottom of the stream. Take a look through a microscope to see the finer details of these little animals. Wellies and a jacket are a good idea for who knows where your trek will take you! Fun sessions for mums, dads and kids so come along for a great family day out.

Two sessions per day: 11.00am – 1.00pm & 2.00pm to 4.00pm

Discovering Mini-beasts
Wednesday July 23rd & August 13th
Discovering Woodlands
Wednesday July 30th & August 20th
Discovering Streams & Freshwater
Wednesday August 6th & 27th

Celtic Storytelling

Gaze into the flickering flames of the roundhouse fire as you listen to tales from yesteryear. Be entranced by storyteller Pamela Gaunt as she regales you with her tales from the past.
Morning session 11.00am – 1.00pm
Afternoon session 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Dates:  Every Wednesday from July 23rd to August 27th

Celtic Feast Days

There were four main feast days in the Celtic year – Imbolc, Beltaine, Lughnasad and Samhain. In the Iron Age Imbolc was a Spring Festival that coincided with the lambing season, Beltaine was a Fire Festival when the cattle were herded between large bonfires in a fertility rite, Lughnasad was a feast day to celebrate the ripening of the corn while Samhain marked the beginning of the winter and which we now celebrate as Halloween. Why not join us at Castell Henllys as we commemorate these four feast days. For our celebrations there will be children’s activities, storytelling, face painting, the making and the burning of a wicker man. Fun for all the family.

Dates:  Imbolc - March 24th, Beltaine - May 26th, Lughnasad - August 25th & Samhain – October 29th

Skills from the Past

Times for all the following craft sessions: 11.00am to 4.00pm
For details phone:       01239 891319

Spinning & weaving
Certain skills were an essential part of life in the Iron Age. There were no shops to buy your clothes, your food or your building materials which meant that everyday essentials that we take for granted had to be produced in a sustainable way. Sheep were kept for their wool which was spun, dyed and woven into cloth.  To find out more about this procedure why not visit Castell Henllys on a Tuesday or a Thursday. Throughout the season there will a site assistant available to give information about the making of Iron Age textiles.

Dates:  Every Tuesday & Thursday from March 20th to October 30th

Dyeing with natural materials
The Iron Age Celts liked to wear colourful clothing and in order to get the bright colours they wanted they used plants and natural materials to produce their dyes. To learn more about the process of getting dye colours from natural materials come along to Castell Henllys to watch the experts.

Dates:  Wednesday March 26th, April 2nd, 9th & 16th
            Thursday July 24th, 31st, August 7th, 14th, 21st & 28th

Basket making
In the Iron Age baskets were used for storing a variety of goods from grain to clothes. If you would like to learn about the coppicing of willow and how a basket is made come and join our experienced basket maker. Have a go at making your own basket to display in your home.

Dates: Friday April 4th & May 30th

For details of basketry workshops at Castell Henllys please phone 01239 841406 or 01239 891319

Guided Tours

Throughout the season there are two daily guided tours led by our knowledgeable staff who will give you an enthusiastic talk about life in the fort and the surrounding area both past and present. Learn about the sustainable lifestyle of our Celtic ancestors and find out about the discoveries made during the archaeological excavation of the site. Castell Henllys is owned and managed by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority. Learn about the work carried out by the Park Authority not only in Castell Henllys but also Park wide.

Tours start in the fort daily at 11.30 am & 2.30pm from Easter to the end of October.