One side of the Hillfort itself leads down over very rough and steep ground towards Pwllheli to the south. Much of the intervening space is rough moorland predominantly covered in heather, wild blueberries (much smaller and tarter than their commercial cultivated relatives), a few stunted hawthorn trees and with gorse on the hedgerows and bog myrtle (helig Mair in Welsh) on the boggy ground). To the north there are sheep pens associated with the settlement that lead to a narrow valley that leads down to the village of Trefor and the sea.

At the main entrance to Tre'r Ceiri (at least the main way in from the modern footpaths) you see a quern stone placed on the wall (a stone with a smooth grove impressed in it that most visitors simply pass by). This and the environment led me to wonder what kind of food the natives might have eaten along with their lamb, mutton and goats. This led to the invention of the boiled pudding described below, which uses the early summer abundance of the site as it's inspiration:

Ingredients

60g young hawthorn leaves
handful of gorse flowers (still available in the region in July)
small handful of heather flowers
large handful of bilberries (these are wild cousins of Blueberries [if using commercial blueberries quarter them and add a tablespoon of red wine vinegar to add tartness])
small sprig of myrtle leaves
240g fine oatmeal
½ tsp sea salt, or to taste

As always, if you're not completely certain in recognizing a wild plant, do not pick it. However, this basic guide to wild edible plants is provided as a basic guide.

Method:

Place the flour and salt in a large bowl then add the finely-chopped herbs and mix together thoroughly with a fork. Next add the blueberries and mix in well. Add just enough water (for a different flavour you can also substitute beer) so that the mixture comes together as a stiff dough.

Tip the dough into the centre of a muslin cloth which then needs to be drawn-up tightly around the pudding before being securely tied-off at the top. Leave enough string free so that it's easy to pull the pudding out of the pot in which it's cooked.

Stew the pudding with mutton or kid (it also works well with game birds such as partridge [the pudding also goes well with rabbit and pheasant but these are later introductions to Britain so would not be entirely authentic in an 'ancient' meal]). Ensure that you boil the pudding for at last two hours. Allow to cool slightly before cutting into thick sections. Serve with the meat as you would a chunk of bread.

Read: Recipe Articles and Reviews