Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA2195 Castell Pyr, Llanllwni, Carmarthenshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Dyfed 1830 (None)

NMR:  SN 44 SE 2 (303791)

SM:  CM081(CAM)

NGR:  SN46904001

X:  246900  Y:  240010  (OSGB36)

Summary

Inland promontory fort situated on a WNW-facing spur just above the Afon Teifi and Nant-Cwm-du stream confluence. Steep surrounding slopes on N (steepest), S and W, less on E along promontory. D-shaped measuring c. 70m across. Internal area estimated at 0.38ha. Road bisects site and area to W appears levelled and nothing remains. To E more substantial and defined by two ramparts and ditches cutting off the promontory from NNW-SSE, with natural scarps defence elsewhere, with the outer rampart, c. 3m-4m high, higher than the inner at c. 2m high. Ditch to outer rampart still substantial. Ordnance Survey in 1968 recorded outer bank to 8m high with ditch to 3.4m depth. Internal area unknown. Both banks stop short of the scarp at N end, where possible entrance. Overlooked from just outside. Most of site under pasture, with wooded Castle Pyr cottage grounds in S. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -471275  Y:  6806866  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.233532420438258  Latitude:  52.03726204385989  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Carmarthenshire

Historic County:  Carmarthenshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llanllwni

Monument Condition

Road bisects site. Castle Pyr cottage grounds in S. Much erosion since Ordnance Survey visited site in 1968.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Most under improved pasture with wooded Castle Pyr cottage grounds in S.

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

Inland promontory fort situated on a WNW-facing spur just above the Afon Teifi and Nant-Cwm-du stream confluence. Steep surrounding slopes on N (steepest), S and W, less on E along promontory.

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:  Spur

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  120.0m

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

On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Field Observation OS 1968. Field Observation DAT 1983. Field Observation CADW 1994, 2002. Dyfed Archaeological Trust defended enclosures survey 2007-2008.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1889):   OS map.
Other (1968):   Field observation OS.
Other (1983):   Field observation DAT.
Other (None):   Field observation CADW.
Other (None):   Dyfed Archaeological Trust defended enclosures survey.

Interior Features

None

Water Source

Stream 0.1km outside fort.

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

Both banks stop short of the scarp at N end, where possible entrance.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (North):   None

Enclosing Works

Defined by two ramparts and ditches cutting off the promontory from NNW-SSE, with natural scarps defence elsewhere, with the outer rampart, c. 3m-4m high, higher than the inner at c. 2m high. Ditch to outer rampart still substantial.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.38ha.
Total:   0.38ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Internal area estimated.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   None

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

None

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:
✓   None

Number of Ditches:  2

Annex:
✗   None

References

Murphy, F., Ramsey, R., Page, M. and Murphy, K. 2008. A Survey of Defended Enclosures in Carmarthenshire, 2007-08: Gazetteer of Ordnance Survey Grid Squares SN40, SN41, SN42, SN43 and SN44, Dyfed Archaeological Trust Report No. 2007/27, Project Record No. 62767, Llandeilo: Dyfed Archaeological Trust.

Royal Commission on the ancient and historical monuments and constructions in Wales and Monmouthshire 1917. An inventory of the ancient monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire, V, Carmarthen, 522, London: HMSO.

Savory, H.N. 1954. List of hill-forts and other earthworks in Carmarthenshire. Bull Board Celtic Stud, 16, 63.



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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