Carningli Hillfort Middle Enclosure

The walk up to Carningli's Middle Enclosure rewards you with views that stretch across the Preseli Mountains and down to Cardigan Bay. It's a proper Iron Age hillfort, the kind of place where you stand among ancient earthworks and actually feel the weight of two thousand years. The site sits on Carningli mountain itself, just south of Newport in Pembrokeshire, and the scramble up takes about half an hour from the car park depending on your fitness.

What you're looking at are the defensive banks and ditches that once protected an Iron Age community. The Middle Enclosure is the central stronghold, and once you're up there you can trace the layout - the ramparts still visible, the way the ground dips and rises to form barriers. It's not flashy. There are no visitor facilities, no interpretation boards, no gift shop. What there is, though, is authenticity and solitude. You'll likely have the place to yourself, especially on weekday mornings.

This is squarely for people who enjoy archaeology and landscape history in equal measure. Families with older kids who can handle a decent uphill walk will find it interesting enough, though younger children might struggle with the effort for what amounts to ancient earthworks and views. Allow two hours return from Newport to do it justice.

If you're staying at Llwyngwair Manor Holiday Park or any of the other glamping spots dotted round the area, Carningli fits perfectly into a walking-focused Pembrokeshire break alongside the coastal paths. It's free, it's open year-round, and the views alone make the climb worthwhile.