Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1749 Ynys-y-Fydlyn, Anglesey

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

Scroll left/right to view further images.

HER:  Gwynedd 4361 (None)

NMR:  SH 29 SE (54410)

SM:  None

NGR:  SH29189175

X:  229180  Y:  391750  (OSGB36)

Summary

Possible coastal promontory fort located on the W-facing promontory of Ynys-y-Fydlyn, NE Anglesey. First noted 1988. Ynys-y-Fydlyn is a distinctive promontory, a natural island joined to the mainland by a small spit of sand. Rocky to N, S, W with landward approach to E. Internal area not established. Here grassed-over bank, 0.75m high and 4m wide seems to protect the only landward approach. Has appearance of rampart, but ditch appears to be inside the bank. No entrance determined. Neck of the promontory is fractured leaving the seaward end inaccessible, while the landward end is now under forestry and is also largely inaccessible. Public access and subject to visitor pressure. Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Unconfirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Unconfirmed

Location

X:  -508792  Y:  7056374  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.570553687178239  Latitude:  53.394863183801334  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Isle of Anglesey

Historic County:  Anglesey

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Cylch-y-Garn

Monument Condition

Public access and bank subject to visitor pressure as crossed by footpath. National Trust owned.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Coastal grassland and bare rock.

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

Possible coastal promontory fort located on the distinctive W-facing promontory of Ynys-y-Fydlyn in NE Anglesey. First noted 1988. Ynys-y-Fydlyn is a distinctive promontory, a natural island joined to the mainland by a small spit of sand. Rocky to N, S, W with landward approach to E.

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:  Coastal headland.

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  20.0m

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:   None
Post Hillfort:   None

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

GAT investigation 1989. GAT Coastal Erosion Survey, 1997. GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey 2004-2005.

Investigations:
Other (1987):   GAT Coastal Erosion Survey.
Other (1989):   GAT investigation.
Other (None):   GAT prehistoric 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

Entrance not determined.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
0:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:No related records

Enclosing Works

Grassed-over bank, 0.75m high and 4m wide seems to protect the only landward approach. Has appearance of defensive work, but ditch appears to be inside the bank. Neck of the promontory is fractured leaving the seaward end inaccessible.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   Noneha.
Total:   Noneha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Area not defined.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   position of ramparts estimated and not determined exactly.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
SE Quadrant:   1
SW Quadrant:   0
NW Quadrant:   0
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

Nature of bank not determined.

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:
✓   Possible ditch, but reported inside bank.

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

Jones, S. 1997. Coastal Erosion Survey, GAR Report 251, Bangor: Gwynedd Archaeological Trust.

Smith, G.H. 2005 , A Survey of Prehistoric Defended Enclosures in North West Wales 2004-2005: West Conwy, Gwynedd (Arfon) and Anglesey, Bangor: Gwynedd Archaeological Trust.

Waddington, K. 2013. The Settlements of Northwest Wales: From the Late Bronze Age to the Early Medieval Period, Cardiff: University of Wales Press.



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


Document Version 1.1