A distinct rocky hill above the church of the Holy Cross. It has been said that the top "is marked by two lines of defence". (Arch Camb 328) this statement seems to have mislead the OS recorder in 1980, when it was noted that the banks shown on aerial photos were natural ridges, and the ditches appeared to be footpaths. However, at a distance of c100m NW of the church, there are clearly visible two distinct berms or level terraces, each about 1.5m wide situated one above the other and following the contour of the hillside for about 80m. It would appear more or less certain that the OS were looking at features unrelated top those described above. The area within the headland defined by the terraces is quite devoid of any sign of habitations or indeed of any level ground. It would be quite possible that the terraces could be the remains of some sort of barrier, token or otherwise.

The summit of the hill is said to have once had a lofty stone cross, from which the church of the Holy Cross is though to have derived its dedication. The socket hole for this cross is said to have been seen by 'Old natives' (Eyre Evans 94). A search of the area failed to reveal any evidence of this socket hole.

The hill itself is implicated in a legend borne out in part, according to one writer, by the recent existence of a large bank of sand, said to cover a great number of human bones: "..and supposed to be the remains of a body of Flemings who having effected a landing on this part of the coast; were encouraged by the natives and repulsed with great slaughter" (Lewis: Vol II Mount). The battle is said to have been commemorated by an event which took place on the first Sunday of the New Year (of an old calendar or Calan Hen), called Red Sunday, when a mock battle was fought (Arch Camb 328). An inter-parish football match is also recorded as having once taken place - the goals being the church towers of Llandysul and Llanwenog - five miles apart. Prior to that wild games were held on "Sul coch y Mwnt". (Howell and Beazley 78, 86). All this activity has now been transmuted into a Sunday school festival on approx. the same date. See NPRN 525692 re "landing place" & NPRN 404332 for more information on the "Flemings Invasion" site.

The large bank of sand referred to by Lewis could well be that sandy area now occupied by the car park to the immediate SW of the church.

Much of the area between the church and the summit of the hill of Mwnt (Foel y mwnt) has been eroded by footpaths. Gorse and other scrub have to a certain degree limited the spread of paths./ the two parallel terraces or berms - the possible remains of a defensive line on the hill, are more or less free of erosion. Of the mound of sand, there is little that can be noted, save that its position was possibly at the area of the present car park.
John Latham RCAHMW 21 August 2018
Source: National Trust Report: John Latham. 1985. Mwnt & Llwynysgaw - The National Trust Archaeological Survey 1985.