Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1175 Pwll-y-Clai, Denbighshire (Caer Bryn; Pwll y Clai; Prolly Clai)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Clwyd Powys 100722 (None)

NMR:  SJ 05 NE 1 (306616)

SM:  None

NGR:  SJ08055866

X:  308050  Y:  358660  (OSGB36)

Summary

Remains of contour hillfort located on rounded hillock above the Afon Clywedog where a stream enters the river at Cyffylliog. S slopes steep, elsewhere moderate to strong. Site probably ploughed-out on E side, hence horseshoe (semi-circular) shape, although possibly incomplete. Measures c. 76m diameter internally, and 114m overall, with c. 0.4ha enclosed. Defined by double bank and ditch, inner bank to c. 1.25m high and 7m wide and outer to c. 1m high and 2.5m wide. No entrance visible, but possibly ploughed-out on E. Rough grass interior, wooded banks. On 1st Ed. OS map (1874). Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -375741  Y:  7004697  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.375338537056116  Latitude:  53.11714926821302  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Denbighshire

Historic County:  Denbighshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Cyffylliog

Monument Condition

Site probably ploughed-out on E side, hence horseshoe (semi-circular) shape.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

Rough grass interior, wooded banks. Hedge line on E.

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

Remains of possible contour hillfort located on rounded hillock above the Afon Clywedog where a stream enters the river. S slopes steep, elsewhere moderate to strong.

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:  200.0m

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 (1874).

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1874):   OS map.

Interior Features

None.

Water Source

Stream 0.2km 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

No entrance visible, but possibly ploughed-out on E.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
0:   None visible.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   Possibly ploughed-out on E.

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (East):   Type estimated - possibly ploughed-out.

Enclosing Works

Defined by double bank and ditch, inner bank to c. 1.25m high and 7m wide and outer to c. 1m high and 2.5m wide.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.4ha.
Total:   0.4ha.

Total Footprint Area:  1.2ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Measures c. 76m diameter internally, and 114m overall. Areas estimated because of ploughed-out horseshoe shape of enclosure.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   Ploughed-out or incomplete on E side.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   0
SE Quadrant:   0
SW Quadrant:   2
NW Quadrant:   2
Total:   2

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

Possibly incomplete.

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:
✓   Medial ditch. No details of outer ditch - possibly buried feature?

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

Davies, Canon Ellis 1929: The prehistoric and Roman remains of Denbighshire, Cardiff: William Lewis, 374.



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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