Myth and legend tug at the sleeve; according to oral history, the hillfort up here is that of Caradoc, last leader of the Britons.

As a child I saw what seemed absolute proof of this, for Roman coins were routinely found during ploughing.

Also of note on the summit is a fine monument to a chief of British Roma. Gypsies, as they were called, formed a natural part of local life, and as a child I saw many gypsy weddings and funerals. Notably, the harpist Nansi Richards cited the Wood family as an influence on her music.

On Rhos Common at Llandrinio, there used to be a large encampment. My grandmother told of going home to The Butcher’s Arms, close by, saying she’d had gypsy meat (hedgehog) for tea.