Almost everything Lynne and I know about the historical site in the hills above Kadros - signed to ‘Ancient of Kantanos’ - came from our friend the late Tony Fennymore. Tony took us here, and to other local sites of Viena and Irtakina, and made the places come alive with his vivid descriptions. “Imagine you were standing here 3,000 years ago,” he would tell us, “this is what you would see.” Tony always intended writing a guide to these sites, but never got round to it, and now it’s too late.

Tony kindly offered us his rough notes to Kadros for use in our book ‘Ten Walks from Paleohora’ (see below), and now, with permission from Ann and Tony’s family, they will give much additional interest on a circular walk of approx. 10km from Kakodiki, a short drive (10km north) from Paleohora, or just 10 mins on the bus to Chania.

Take the bus to Kakodiki, and walk back to the cafenion ‘Oi Filoi’, on the north side of the new bridge (or park your car there). Walk up the road leading off left, which winds up to a junction (turn right), close to the large church of Agia Triadha, and the smaller and more interesting 13th C Mihail Arhangelos. Before long the gradient eases, with a distant view of our objective, Profitis Ilias hilltop church. Continue on the surfaced road (keep right if in any doubt) until, after 6km, you reach a junction with a signpost ‘Ancient of Kantanos’. Turn left here, passing several houses and a water tap, on a track which ends in a meadow beside a modern chapel.

Some background from Tony : “The mountains which lead into the Kakodiki river provided ideal conditions for the foundation of large and small cities ; first because of the safety that resulted from the region’s inaccessibility, and secondly because of the wealth of agriculture. The region reached its peak during the Hellenistic years (4th to beginning of 1st c. B.C) and during the period of Roman rule (67 B.C. to 4th C A.D.) a time when Crete flourished generally. The most impressive visible remains of the area are found near the modern village of Kadros, where, even without excavation, there are indications of an extensive city with a large number of inhabitants.”

The path to the site is not the original approach, which “would have been along the floor of the valley to the right-hand side, entering the city through a narrow gap between natural rock abutments with defensive walls built of large, cut, polygonal shaped blocks of stone which extended all round the site - often referred to as ‘Cyclopean’ walling, as later Greeks considered only giants (the Cyclops) could have cut and moved such huge blocks.”

Just before the gated entry to the site, look for a burial chamber (left), and turn right through another gate to find more after a few metres. There are others, and maybe some as yet undiscovered. Tony again : “The rock-cut tomb chambers are very similar to those at Irtakina and other sites of this period, ie. Dorian (1,500-650B.C.) and going into the Archaic, Classical & Hellenistic periods (650-67B.C.) They accord to local burial customs of the time, being similar in design and execution, and have one chamber, usually square and some 1.5 - 2 metres deep. Many of them display rebated jambs to the front opening, indicating the existence of an earlier, and now missing, well-fitting ‘door’ or closure slab.” As was the custom then, these cemeteries provided the dead with a fine view - of the acropolis opposite and the hills and valleys beyond.

Let’s climb the hill, by a path of sorts opposite the chapel. It’s really two outcrops separated by a deep ravine some 200m long, which itself is worth exploring. Some summers ago, Lynne and I leased a room in Paleohora from an ex-Kadros landlady. As a young girl, she told us, she and the village women and children were hidden in the chasm when German troops were in the area during the last War. From the far (W) end of the ravine, it’s possible to scramble up to the summit, but only for those sure-footed with a ‘head for heights’.

The path is marked by faint red dots. “On the track up to the church there are some large, rectangular, man-cut spaces in the natural rock strata, which formed the rear and side walls of buildings. Very often the natural rock has been used as a foundation or a section of wall, cut according to need. Several large structures stand out, which must have been the public buildings of the city, ie. temples or open areas for ceremonial purposes.” At the summit, 590m high, is the church of Profitis Ilias, and a splendid all-round view, perhaps the best in Selinou. “From its position, it is obvious that the city controlled at least the area of modern Kakodiki, where there must have been various small towns/villages whose inhabitants were concerned with agriculture and livestock.”

On the way down, sit for a while and listen to Tony describing the scene below : “These were civilised people who built extensive terracing to grow cereal and other crops. They had an ample water supply. Olive and almond trees provided fruit, oil, shade, and wood for heat and building. They kept sheep and goats for meat, milk, wool, skins and fleeces. Above all, they were relatively safe at a time when Crete was prone to civil wars and piracy from the sea.”

To continue the walk, return to the T-junction and sign, and turn left, downhill. At the next junction, go right, passing - or calling in at, if it’s open - Kadros’ colourful cafenion. Below the village, avoid a left turn to Periana (cul-de-sac). On reaching the main road, turn right for 800m into Kakodiki, or wait for the ‘bus, passing approx. 1.5 hrs after leaving Chania.

Tony’s unique book “Fenny’s Hania” - essential for everyone wishing to explore the hidden parts of the town - is still available. Details from www.fennyscrete.com

‘Ten Walks around Paleochora‘ & ‘More Walks from Paleohora’ are available, while stocks last, from ‘To Delfini’ bookshop in the town centre.

This article was first published on The Paleochora Site.com

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