Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1212 Cross Oak, Brecknockshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Clwyd Powys 3475 (None)

NMR:  SO 12 SW 25 (142947)

SM:  None

NGR:  SO11052355

X:  311050  Y:  223550  (OSGB36)

Summary

Small, nearly circular, univallate contour enclosure located on small knoll rising to almost l40m O.D. on the W edge of the flood plain of the River Usk, 0.7km N of Tal-y-bont ar Wysg. Near present Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal. Gentle slopes on S and W, more steeply on N and E. Overlooked on W. Measures c. 130m NW-SE by 110m with internal area c. 0.8ha and barely visible on site, but clear from air and showing as an earthwork with parching in air photographs by Chris Musson 1989. Ramparts originally c. 20m across, now virtually destroyed and ditch filled-in. Suggested by CPAT (HER) as bivallate and shows as patches of degraded sandstone. On SE possibly another ploughed-down low bank to form a broad glacial channel NE-SW. To W broad stream gully forms outer defence and possible that the natural scarp above this has been modified to incorporate this natural feature into the defences. Possible S entrance gap. Under improved pasture. Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -366725  Y:  6782664  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.294345840846774  Latitude:  51.90332525295585  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Powys

Historic County:  Brecknockshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Talybont-on-Usk

Monument Condition

Near destroyed by plough and barely recognisable on site, but shows from air.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Improved pasture.

Current Use:
Woodland  
Commercial Forestry Plantation  
Parkland  
Pasture (Grazing)  
Arable  
Scrub/Bracken  
Bare Outcrop  
Heather/Moorland  
Heath  
Built-up  
Coastal Grassland  
Other  

Landscape

Hillfort Type

Small, nearly circular, univallate contour enclosure located on small knoll rising to almost l40m O.D. on the W edge of the flood plain of the River Usk, 0.7km N of Tal-y-bont ar Wysg. Near present Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal. Gentle slopes on S and W, more steeply on N and E. Overlooked on W.

Type:
Contour Fort  
Partial Contour Fort  
Promontory Fort  
Hillslope Fort  
Level Terrain Fort  
Marsh Fort  
Multiple Enclosure Fort  

Topographic Position

Position:
Hilltop  
Coastal Promontory  
Inland Promontory  
Valley Bottom  
Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop  
Ridge  
Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp  
Hillslope  
Lowland  
Spur  

Dominant Topographic Feature:  Knoll

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  130.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

None.

Reliability:  D - None

Principal Activity:
Pre 1200BC  
1200BC - 800BC  
800BC - 400BC  
400BC - AD50  
AD50 - AD400  
AD400 - AD 800  
Post AD800  
Unknown  

Other Activity:
Pre Hillfort:   Stone axe and flints chance finds suggest Neolithic interest.
Post Hillfort:   None

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

RCAHMW investigation 1969. CPAT defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.

Investigations:
Other (1969):   RCAHMW investigation.
Other (None):   CPAT defended enclosures survey.

Interior Features

None.

Water Source

None

Source:
None  
Spring  
Stream  
Pool  
Flush  
Well  
Other  

Surface

None

Interior Features (Surface):
No Known Features  
Round Stone Structures  
Rectangular Stone Structures  
Curvilinear Platforms  
Other Roundhouse Evidence  
Pits  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  

Excavation

None

Interior Features (Excavation):
No Known Excavation  
Pits  
Postholes  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Roads/Tracks  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  
Nothing Found  

Geophysics

None

Interior Features (Geophysics):
No Known Geophysics  
Pits  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Roads/Tracks  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  
Nothing Found  

Finds

None

Interior (Finds):
No Known Finds  
Pottery  
Metal  
Metalworking  
Human Bones  
Animal Bones  
Lithics  
Environmental  
Other  

Aerial

None

Interior Features (Aerial):
APs Not Checked  
None  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Pits  
Postholes  
Roads/Tracks  
Other  

Entrances

Possible that broad 5m-8m gap in S inner embankment could be site of entrance.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   Possible on S.

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (South):   None

Enclosing Works

Ramparts originally c. 20m across, now virtually destroyed and ditch filled in. Has been suggested by CPAT (HER) as bivallate and shows as patches of degraded sandstone. On SE suggestions of another ploughed-down low bank to form a broad glacial channel NE-SW. To W broad stream gully forms outer defence and possible that the natural scarp above this has been modified to incorporate this natural feature into the defences.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.8ha.
Total:   0.8ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   Near destroyed, but originally single surrounding rampart.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
SE Quadrant:   1
SW Quadrant:   1
NW Quadrant:   1
Total:   1

Morphology

Current Morphology:
Partial Univallate  
Univallate  
Partial Bivallate  
Bivallate  
Partial Multivallate  
Multivallate  
Unknown  

Detailed Morphology:
Partial Univallate  
Univallate  
Partial Bivallate  
Bivallate  
Partial Multivallate  
Multivallate  

Surface Evidence

Cropmark.

Enclosing Works (Surface):
None  
Earthen Bank  
Stone Wall  
Rubble  
Wall-walk  
Evidence of Timber  
Vitrification  
Other Burning  
Palisade  
Counter Scarp Bank  
Berm  
Unfinished  
Other  

Excavated Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Excavation):
None  
Earthen Bank  
Stone Wall  
Murus Duplex  
Timber-framed  
Timber-laced  
Vitrification  
Other Burning  
Palisade  
Counter Scarp Bank  
Berm  
Unfinished  
No Known Excavation  
Other  

Other

Gang Working:
✗   None

Ditches:
✓   Ditch filled in.

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

RCAHMW 1986. An inventory of the ancient monuments in Brecknock (Brycheiniog). The Prehistoric and Roman monuments, Vol 1, Part 2, Hill-forts and Roman remains, HF 44, London: HMSO.

Silvester, B. 2007. The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust. Defended enclosures in Brecknock, CPAT Report No 859, Welshpool: CPAT.



Terms of Use

This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and should be cited as:

Lock, Gary and Ralston, Ian. 2024. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. Available at: https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk


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