Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1184 Craig Adwy Wynt, Denbighshire (Craig Adwywynt; Craig-Adwy-Wynt)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Clwyd Powys 100923 (None)

NMR:  SJ 15 SW (306854)

SM:  None

NGR:  SJ122544

X:  312200  Y:  354400  (OSGB36)

Summary

Complex partial contour hillfort located on W-facing slope of limestone crag/outcrop above the Vale of Clwyd and River Clwyd at its confluence with the Afon Hesbin at Efenechtyd. Moderate to strong to N and E, moderate to S, precipitous on W. Opposite Pen y Gaer, Efenechtyd 1.5km away (Atlas No. 1183). Measures c. 154 N-S by 54m, with internal area c. 2.7ha. Defined on W, and sub-divided internally, by series of N-S precipitous cliff-lines, resulting in two distinct enclosures, one below the other, both delineated by simple banks, doubled at S end of E upper enclosure, each with inturned N-facing entrances. Much vegetation growth makes features very difficult to distinguish on site. Rough grassy bracken and scrub, woodland and bare rock. Butterfly conservation area. On 1st Ed. OS map (1874-75). Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -368711  Y:  6997729  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.312183680256985  Latitude:  53.079565389941614  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Denbighshire

Historic County:  Denbighshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Efenechtyd

Monument Condition

Overgrown and difficult to interpret. Butterfly Trust site.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Rough grassy bracken and scrub, woodland and bare rock.

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

Complex partial contour hillfort located on W-facing slope of limestone crag above the Vale of Clwyd and River Clwyd at its confluence with the Afon Hesbin. Moderate to strong to N and E, moderate to S, precipitous on W.

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:  Limestone outcrop

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

Altitude:  170.0m

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 (1874-75).

Investigations:
Other (1977):   Visit by Hillfort Study Group
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   OS map.

Interior Features

None

Water Source

River Clwyd 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

Each enclosure level, upper and lower, has inturned N-facing entrances.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
2:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. In-turned (North):   Upper level enclosure.
2. In-turned (North):   Lower level enclosure.

Enclosing Works

Defined on W, and sub-divided internally by, series of N-S precipitous cliff-lines, resulting in two distinct enclosures, one below the other, both delineated by simple banks, doubled at S end of E upper enclosure,

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   2.7ha.
Total:   2.7ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   Quadrants estimated. Lower enclosure, or 'annexe', not included in quadrants.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
SE Quadrant:   2
SW Quadrant:   1
NW Quadrant:   1
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

Probable stone-walled in part.

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:
✓   The lower level enclosure has been termed an 'annexe'.

References

Brown, I. 2009. Beacons in the landscape. The hillforts of England and Wales, Oxford: Windgather Press/Oxbow Books.

Forde Johnston, J. 1976. Hillforts of the Iron Age in England and Wales, Liverpool: Liverpool University Press.



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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