Castell Pen-yr-Allt

The Iron Age hillfort sits above Cardigan, commanding views across the Teifi Valley that honestly take your breath away. What you're looking at is around 2,500 years of Welsh history compressed into earthwork ramparts - the kind of place where you can almost hear the sound of ancient activity echoing across the slopes.

Walking the perimeter takes maybe forty minutes at a leisurely pace, though you could spend longer just sitting on the banks and watching the valley shift through light and shadow. The defences are still remarkably clear - two distinct ramparts that would have made life difficult for anyone attempting a direct assault. There's no interpretation on site, which means you either come armed with guidebook knowledge or simply enjoy the landscape and imagine the stories.

It's genuinely one for the archaeology minded or serious walkers rather than families after a quick tick-box. Kids under ten might find it a bit abstract - there are no reconstructions, no visitor centre, just the raw bones of an ancient settlement. But if you're the sort who gets properly excited about Iron Age Wales, this is exactly your sort of morning out.

Free to visit, accessible on foot from the lanes around Cardigan. If you're staying at Llwyngwair Manor Holiday Park nearby, it's a straightforward drive plus a good walk. Best in spring or early autumn when the slopes aren't waterlogged. Allow a good two hours if you want to do it properly, including the walk up from the car park.