Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1173 Caer Ddunod, Denbighshire (Caer-Ddunod)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Clwyd Powys 100667 (None)

NMR:  SH 95 SE 10 (303498)

SM:  DE076

NGR:  SH985520

X:  298500  Y:  352000  (OSGB36)

Summary

Partial contour hillfort sited on flat-topped hillock immediately above the Afon Alwen on Mynydd Hiraethog, Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr. Moderate surrounding slopes, N and E less. Oval shape measuring c. 164m SE-NW by 84m, with internal area c. 1.4ha. Area defined by peripheral dry-stone field wall, probably modern, but traces of inner circuit of fort visible 15m within this field wall and possibly on SW. Traces of terracing, possibly part of rampart, on NE and NW. No ditch defined. Possible bank downslope on SW and W, 25m-30m from enclosure, but uncertain. No entrance defined. Possible circular structure or feature, c. 10m across, in interior. Improved pasture interior, scrubby surrounds. Vestiges only remain. Affected by farm buildings on SE and modern stone walls. On 1st Ed. OS map (1875). Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -391385  Y:  6993283  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.5158737289485593  Latitude:  53.05556853179127  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Conwy

Historic County:  Denbighshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr

Monument Condition

Vestiges only remain. Affected by farm buildings on SE and modern stone walls.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

Improved pasture interior, scrubby surrounds.

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

Partial contour hillfort sited on flat-topped hillock immediately above the Afon Alwen on Mynydd Hiraethog. Moderate surrounding slopes, N and E less.

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:  Hillock

Aspect:
North   ✗
Northeast   ✓
East   ✗
Southeast   ✗
South   ✗
Southwest   ✗
West   ✗
Northwest   ✗
Level   ✗

Altitude:  290.0m

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 (1875).

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1875):   OS MAP.

Interior Features

Possible circular structure or feature, c. 10m across, in interior.

Water Source

Afon Alwen directly below fort.

Source:
None   ✓
Spring   ✗
Stream   ✗
Pool   ✗
Flush   ✗
Well   ✗
Other   ✗

Surface

Possible circular structure or feature, c. 10m across, in interior.

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

None defined.

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

Area defined by peripheral dry-stone field wall, but traces of inner circuit of fort visible 15m within this field wall and possibly on SW. Traces of terracing, possibly part of rampart, on NE and NW. No ditch defined. Possible bank downslope on SW and W, 25m-30m from enclosure, but uncertain.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   1.4ha.
Total:   1.4ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   Traces only visible and quadrants estimated.

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

Probable stone-walled site.

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 visible.

Number of Ditches:  0

Annex:
✗   None

References

Davies, Canon Ellis 1929. The prehistoric and Roman remains of Denbighshire, Cardiff: William Lewis, 231.



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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