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HER:  Shropshire 1118 (None)
NMR:  SJ 22 NW1 (65991)
SM:  1006279
NGR:  SJ 232289
X:  323243  Y:  328983  (OSGB36)
Roughly oval, contour hillfort located on steep wooded slopes of an isolated hill above the Afon Cynllaith watercourse and below Llyn Rhuddwyn, measuring c. 140m by 46m, with internal area c. 0.48ha. Steep drops on the N and W. The ramparts of loose stone and small boulders have been generally destroyed and tumbled downslope, but are best on N, W and SE where up to 6m wide. Mutilated remains of a ditch remain on the SW side. To SW there is a possible outer bank where slope is less steep on the lower extension of the ridge. Probably a stone wall site rather than dump construction. A simple break through the rampart on the W near a very steep slope is a possible original entrance. Owned by the MOD, the site has been heavily wooded for many years and show evidence of much later disturbance with buildings, including a now roofless hunting lodge/summerhouse at the highest point. Undated. On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900).
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed
X:  -349692  Y:  6955822  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -3.1413333613733037  Latitude:  52.85283067602122  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  England
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Shropshire
Historic County:  Shropshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Oswestry Rural
Part-destroyed and heavily disturbed MOD site with buildings remains, including a roofless 19th century hunting lodge/summerhouse at the highest point, with possibly one to three others. Rampart tumbled and gone apart from on the N and SE.
| Extant   | ✓ |
| Cropmark   | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed   | ✓ |
Heavily wooded for many years.
| Woodland   | ✓ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation   | ✗ |
| Parkland   | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing)   | ✗ |
| Arable   | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken   | ✓ |
| Bare Outcrop   | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland   | ✗ |
| Heath   | ✗ |
| Built-up   | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
Contour fort following the contours of a steep isolated hill. Located on steep wooded slopes of an isolated rocky ridge/hill above the Afon Cynllaith watercourse.
| Contour Fort   | ✓ |
| Partial Contour Fort   | ✗ |
| Promontory Fort   | ✗ |
| Hillslope Fort   | ✗ |
| Level Terrain Fort   | ✗ |
| Marsh Fort   | ✗ |
| Multiple Enclosure Fort   | ✗ |
| Hilltop   | ✓ |
| Coastal Promontory   | ✗ |
| Inland Promontory   | ✗ |
| Valley Bottom   | ✗ |
| Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop   | ✗ |
| Ridge   | ✗ |
| Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp   | ✗ |
| Hillslope   | ✗ |
| Lowland   | ✗ |
| Spur   | ✗ |
Dominant Topographic Feature:  Isolated hill.
| North   | ✗ |
| Northeast   | ✗ |
| East   | ✗ |
| Southeast   | ✗ |
| South   | ✗ |
| Southwest   | ✗ |
| West   | ✗ |
| Northwest   | ✗ |
| Level   | ✓ |
Altitude:  362.0m
N/A
None
Reliability:  D - None
| Pre 1200BC   | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC   | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC   | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50   | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400   | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800   | ✗ |
| Post AD800   | ✗ |
| Unknown   | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort:   | None |
| Post Hillfort:   | None |
On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900). Field observation Ordnance Survey 1971. Field observation Shropshire CC 1981. Field observations English Heritage 1981, 1983. Air Photograph Interpretation RCHME: Marches Uplands NMP 1993-2000. Shropshire Council survey of 2012.
| Other (1971):   | Field observation OS. |
| Other (1981):   | Field observation Shropshire CC. |
| Other (2012):   | Shropshire Council survey. |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   | 1st Ed OS map |
| Other (None):   | Field observations EH. |
| Other (None):   | Air Photograph Interpretation RCHME: Marches Uplands NMP. |
None
Llyn Rhuddwyn 0.2 km outside the fort.
| None   | ✓ |
| Spring   | ✗ |
| Stream   | ✗ |
| Pool   | ✗ |
| Flush   | ✗ |
| Well   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
.
| No Known Features   | ✓ |
| Round Stone Structures   | ✗ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures   | ✗ |
| Curvilinear Platforms   | ✗ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence   | ✗ |
| Pits   | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
None
| No Known Excavation   | ✓ |
| Pits   | ✗ |
| Postholes   | ✗ |
| Roundhouses   | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures   | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks   | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
| Nothing Found   | ✗ |
None
| No Known Geophysics   | ✓ |
| Pits   | ✗ |
| Roundhouses   | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures   | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks   | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
| Nothing Found   | ✗ |
None
| No Known Finds   | ✓ |
| Pottery   | ✗ |
| Metal   | ✗ |
| Metalworking   | ✗ |
| Human Bones   | ✗ |
| Animal Bones   | ✗ |
| Lithics   | ✗ |
| Environmental   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
None
| APs Not Checked   | ✓ |
| None   | ✗ |
| Roundhouses   | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures   | ✗ |
| Pits   | ✗ |
| Postholes   | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
Possible SW original entrance, simple gap, but 19th century landscaping here may suggest otherwise.
| 1:   | The disturbance to the site may call into question the site of any entrance. |
| 2:   | Possible SW original entrance, but 19th century landscaping here. |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (South west):   | 19th century landscaping here. |
The ramparts of loose stone and small boulders have been generally destroyed and tumbled downslope, but are best on the N, west and SE where up to 6 m wide. The mutilated remains of a ditch remain on the SW side. To the SW there is a possible outer bank where the slope is less steep on the lower extension of the ridge. Probably a stone-walled site rather than dump construction. A simple break through the rampart on the W near a very steep slope is a possible original entrance.
| Area 1:   | 0.48ha. |
| Total:   | 0.48ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.
Possible outer stone bank on the SW.
| ✗   | The tumbled nature of the ramparts make definite measurements difficult to interpret. |
| ✓   | Very tumbled and disturbed. |
| NE Quadrant:   | 1 |
| SE Quadrant:   | 1 |
| SW Quadrant:   | 2 |
| NW Quadrant:   | 1 |
| Total:   | 2 |
| Partial Univallate   | ✓ |
| Univallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate   | ✓ |
| Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Unknown   | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate   | ✗ |
| Univallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Multivallate   | ✗ |
Probable dry-stone walled site.
| None   | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank   | ✗ |
| Stone Wall   | ✓ |
| Rubble   | ✓ |
| Wall-walk   | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber   | ✗ |
| Vitrification   | ✗ |
| Other Burning   | ✗ |
| Palisade   | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank   | ✗ |
| Berm   | ✗ |
| Unfinished   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
None
| None   | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank   | ✗ |
| Stone Wall   | ✗ |
| Murus Duplex   | ✗ |
| Timber-framed   | ✗ |
| Timber-laced   | ✗ |
| Vitrification   | ✗ |
| Other Burning   | ✗ |
| Palisade   | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank   | ✗ |
| Berm   | ✗ |
| Unfinished   | ✗ |
| No Known Excavation   | ✓ |
| Other   | ✗ |
| ✗   | None |
| ✓   | Mutilated remains if a ditch on the SW side. |
Number of Ditches:  1
| ✗   | None |
Dorling, P. and Wigley, A. 2012. Assessment of the archaeological and conservation status of major later prehistoric enclosures in Herefordshire and Shropshire, EH PNUM, Version 3.2, Hereford and Shrewsbury: Herefordshire Council/Shropshire Council.
Page, W. ed. 1908. Victoria County History of Shropshire, 1, 376, Institute of Historical Research.
Atlas of Hillforts:
Wikidata:
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