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HER:  Clwyd Powys 101279 (None)
NMR:  SJ 35 NW (92942)
SM:  FL066
NGR:  SJ314575
X:  331400  Y:  357500  (OSGB36)
Possible, wooded, contour hillfort located on summit of prominent hill located above the River Alun and near Caergwrle Castle near Wrexham, occupying a commanding position overlooking the Cheshire Plain to E. Surrounding slopes N, S, E, W moderate to strong. Formerly measured c. 280m ENE-WSW by 92m. Evidence of a single weak rough stone-revetted wall c. 1.5m in height, but no evidence of an external ditch. Although stated as a hillfort in the past, probably not prehistoric and could be much later. Wat's Dyke passes directly under the fort and there could be a connection between the two. Rampart sectioned 1957 (Hayes and Sandford Evans. 1960). Apparently similar structure observed on Caergwrle Castle hill opposite, but not considered prehistoric. On OS 1:2500 map 1879-80 (not 1st Ed.). Undated.
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Unconfirmed
X:  -336884  Y:  7003416  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -3.026276265722533  Latitude:  53.11024231701269  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Flintshire
Historic County:  Flintshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Hope
Wooded with much destruction by silica quarries and timber felling.
| Extant   | ✓ |
| Cropmark   | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed   | ✗ |
Woodland. Silica quarries.
| Woodland   | ✓ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation   | ✗ |
| Parkland   | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing)   | ✗ |
| Arable   | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken   | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop   | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland   | ✗ |
| Heath   | ✗ |
| Built-up   | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✓ |
Possible wooded contour hillfort located on summit of prominent hill located above the River Alun and near Caergwrle Castle, occupying a commanding position overlooking the Cheshire Plain to E. Surrounding slopes N, S, E, W moderate to strong.
| 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:  Hill top
| North   | ✗ |
| Northeast   | ✗ |
| East   | ✗ |
| Southeast   | ✗ |
| South   | ✗ |
| Southwest   | ✗ |
| West   | ✗ |
| Northwest   | ✗ |
| Level   | ✓ |
Altitude:  153.0m
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 OS 1:2500 map 1879-80 (not 1st Ed.). Rampart sectioned 1957 by P. Hayes and J. Sandford Evans.
| Excavation (1957):   | Rampart sectioned by P. Hayes and J. Sandford Evans. |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   | OS map. |
None
Intermittent water in interior hollows.
| None   | ✗ |
| Spring   | ✗ |
| Stream   | ✗ |
| Pool   | ✗ |
| Flush   | ✗ |
| Well   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✓ |
None
| 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   | ✗ |
Not determined.
| 0:   | None |
| 2:   | None |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
Evidence of a single weak rough stone-revetted wall c. 1.5m in height, but no evidence of an external ditch.
| Area 1:   | 2.5ha. |
| Total:   | 2.5ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.
None
| ✗   | None |
| ✓   | Actual present extent of stone wall not determined. |
| NE Quadrant:   | 1 |
| SE Quadrant:   | 1 |
| SW Quadrant:   | 1 |
| NW Quadrant:   | 1 |
| Total:   | 1 |
| Partial Univallate   | ✗ |
| Univallate   | ✓ |
| Partial Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Unknown   | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate   | ✗ |
| Univallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Multivallate   | ✗ |
Stone-wall.
| None   | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank   | ✗ |
| Stone Wall   | ✓ |
| Rubble   | ✗ |
| Wall-walk   | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber   | ✗ |
| Vitrification   | ✗ |
| Other Burning   | ✗ |
| Palisade   | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank   | ✗ |
| Berm   | ✗ |
| Unfinished   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
Weak stone-revetted wall c. 1.5m high.
| 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 |
| ✗   | No ditch in evidence. |
Number of Ditches:  0
| ✗   | None |
Ellis Davies 1949. Prehistoric and Roman remains of Flintshire, Cardiff: William Lewis, 197-99.
Hayes, P. and Sandford Evans, J. 1960. Hope: Hill Fort of Caer Estyn, Flintshire Hist Soc Publications, XVIII, 171-175.
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