1. Din Lligwy is a later prehistoric and Ronano-British walled settlement set on the summit of a limestone plateau close to its precipitous northern edge. The internal buildings were cleared from 1905 onwards when significant quantities of Roman material were recovered, mostly of the late third-fourth century AD. The remains have been consolidated for public display.

The enclosure describes an irregular pentagon about 52m east-west by 46m. The drystone wall is about 1.0m wide and stands up to 2.0m high, including many large orthostatic stone slabs. The various internal buildings have similar walls. These include two roundhouses, 6.5-7.3m internal diameter and originally freestanding, and up to seven rectangular buildings, the largest 14.7m by 5.7m, all but one set against the enclosure wall. A further rectangular building rests against the outside of the south-west wall beside the original entrance, a simple gap or doorway. There are further settlement remains around the enclosure to the north, south and west, where they extended over a distance of 82m and include at least one small roundhouse. Exploration of these failed to produce Roman material and some may pre-date the main enclosure although others may be later.

The finds included a scattering of tile fragments, including at least one example of both imbrices (curved tile) and box or flue tile. There are insufficient of these to demonstrate that any of the buildings were tiled. A similar situation occurs at Parciau, some 1.5km to the south (NPRN 95548).

Sources: Baynes in Archaeologia Cambrensis 8 (1908), 183-210
85 (1930), 375-93
RCAHM Anglesey Inventory (1937), 133-5
Yates & Longley CADW Guide to Anglesey 3rd edition (2004), 30

.RCAHMW 2007.

2. Description from RCAHMW Inventory 1937, 133-135:

DIN LLIGWY, an imposing and well-preserved walled hut-group 1 m. E. of the church and 250 yards N. of Lligwy House. It lies close to the steep N.W. edge of a limestone plateau which slopes gradually from W. to E. The enclosing walls are built in straight lengths and form an irregular pentagon covering rather more than half an acre. The overall measurements of the enclosure are: N.-S., 160 ft., E.-W., 190 ft. The wall is from 4 ft. to 5 ft. thick and consists of two rows of facing slabs of limestone, with rubble filling between. The entrance, now ruined, is in the N.E. wall, and leads through a rectangular enclosure. The remains consist of two circular and seven rect[1]angular buildings, and in addition, there are two rectangular foundations outside the wall on the S side. The average height of the hut walls is 3 ft. to 5 ft. and where best preserved they stand to 6 ft. The average height of the enclosing walls is 4 ft. Some of the stones in the walls are of very large size, and a few are as much as 10 ft. long. The site was excavated in 1905 and following years, and the numbers used in the reports are retained here. The group of buildings was probably the home of a local chieftain of some importance.

The units of the establishment are:

1. A sub-rectangular enclosure, 20 ft. by 26 ft. The S. and W. sides are formed by the boundary walls of the settlement, and the N. wall by Hut ia.

1 a. A rectangular hut built close against, but not incorporated in, the W. boundary wall, measuring 16 by 16 ft. inside, with walls 5 ft. to 6 ft. thick; the entrance, 5 ft. wide, is on the E. side, inside which were traces of a hearth. (PI. 12.) 2. A circular hut in the N.W. angle of the boundary walls, 21 ft. in diameter, with walls 7 ft. thick, and entrance, 6 ft. 6 in. wide, to the E., with two doorsteps, 6 in. and 18 in. wide. Nearly opposite the entrance there is a niche or seat, 16 in. deep, in the inner face of the hut-wall. Finds were numerous on the floor; the pottery included a globular vessel decorated with a white slip trellis-pattern, probably New Forest ware, and a beaker with indented sides; there were also part of a handled glass jug and a small silver ingot 1 in. long, iron objects, slag, etc. (PI. 12.)

3. A circular hut, close to the S.E. boundary wall; diameter 21-22 ft., wall 5-5J ft. thick. On the W. side the wall has been thickened to 7 ft. by an internal chord about 12 ft. long. The entrance was ruined, but apparently was on the E. side. On each side of the entrance were signs of fire, and on the N. side was a small hearth-stone. The dark occupation-layer was well marked in this hut, about 12 in. below the surface.

4. A rectangular enclosure, 44 ft. by 17 ft. internally, of which the N. and E. sides were formed by the boundary wall. There was an entrance 9 ft. wide in the middle of the S. side and a well-defined floor of small stones and beaten earth. The working of iron was carried on in this hut, as shown by four smelting hearths with iron slag, ashes, etc., in the E. part.

5. A rectangular enclosure, 34 ft. 6 in. by 11 ft. internally, against the S. boundary wall. The walls were 5 ft. thick, and the entrance, 6J ft. wide, in the centre of the N. wall, with one step 17 in. wide and 8 in. high. Two smelting hearths with iron slag were found, one on each side of the entrance.

6. A rectangular hut, 29 by 11 ft. internally, against the N.E. boundary wall, with walls 5 ft. thick. The entrance into the enclosure was through the E. and W. sides of this hut. The sides of the entrance are now ruined, so that its width cannot be estimated with accuracy.

7. Signs of occupation were noted in the space between enclosures 5 and 8. The finds here included pottery, a twisted bronze bracelet and a little slag.

8. A sub-rectangular enclosure formed by rough cross-walls from Hut 3 to the S.E. and S. boundary walls, which form the other sides of the hut, measuring about 40 ft. by 9 ft. internally. The finds included five coins of c. A.D. 320-335, found close together, namely three of Constantine I, one of Constantine II and one of Constantius II.

9. An irregular enclosure measuring about 45 ft. by 2 5 ft. internally, filling the space between Huts 3, 6 and 8 and the E. angle of the boundary wall. The remain[1]ing N.W. side is formed by a cross-wall between Huts 3 and 6. The entrance was towards the S. end of the N.W. wall; one jamb only remains.

10. Trial excavations at the centre of the area showed the bed-rock to be very close to the surface, and no finds were made.

11. A rectangular enclosure built against the out[1]side of the S. boundary wall, which forms its N. wall, measuring 19 ft. by 11 ft. internally, with walls 3 ft. to 3 ft. 8 in. thick. The entrance was apparently on the W. side. 11 a. An enclosed space S. of Hut 11, crossed by a wall about 3 ft. wide. This space seems to have been used as a rubbish dump for the adjoining huts. 11b. Remains of a rectangular enclosure S. of Hut 11. The N., and part of the W., wall only remain.

12. A rectangular building 60 ft. S. of the S. boundary wall and in line with Huts 11 and 11b , measuring 25 ft. by 17 ft. internally. The homestead group described above appears to have superseded an earlier and less coherent settlement on the same site. All that now remains of this are two stretches of dry-walling; part of a curved wall 220 ft. to the W., and another length of wall 10-20 ft. N. of the later settlement. About 90 ft. W. of the boundary wall are the remains of a circular hut, about 20 ft. in diameter, which probably belonged to this earlier settlement.

There is nothing to suggest that this earlier settlement precedes the Roman period. The initial date of Din Lligwy is not yet satisfactorily determined. The coins and greater part of the pottery indicate that most, if not all, of the occupation was during the 4th century. The numerous examples of pottery mended by iron rivets show that the vessels were valued, and probably little or none of it was made locally. (Arch. Camb., 1908, p. 183; 1930, p. 375. Tr. A.A.S. 1929, p. 28 (list of coins).) Condition—Good, carefully preserved.