Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1202 Pen y Gaer, Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Clwyd Powys 1835 (None)

NMR:  SN 98 NW 5 (304941)

SM:  MG085(POW)

NGR:  SN90828688

X:  290820  Y:  286880  (OSGB36)

Summary

Univallate, contour hillfort sited on a prominent summit spur of Pen y gaer, one of a cluster of sites around Llyn Clywedog reservoir, 0.3km away to E (formerly the valley of the Afon Clywedog), Llanidloes. Surrounding slopes moderate to strong to N and S, steep to E and W. Measures c. 68m by 44m with internal area 0.27ha. Defined by unditched dry-stone wall, now collapsed, possibly 3.5m to 4m thick; some faces still visible to S and W. On gentler N and S sides additional walls c. 55m and 18m respectively from enclosure. Probably outworks. Well-preserved oblique entrance passage through SE wall, with two, possibly natural, monoliths outside. Rocky uneven interior. At least two level areas with rock-cut rear 'walls' forming hollow platforms. Also boggy areas and a wide level area inside gate suggesting possible yard (T. Driver RCAHMW visit 2005). Rocky upland grazing. On 1st Ed. OS map (1886-87). Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -401719  Y:  6885353  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.608699210150115  Latitude:  52.46887765791421  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Powys

Historic County:  Montgomeryshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llanidloes Without

Monument Condition

Well-preserved site with walls in evidence. Modern cairn in interior.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Rocky upland grazing.

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

Univallate contour hillfort sited on a prominent summit spur of Pen y gaer, one of a cluster of sites around Llyn Clywedog reservoir, 0.3km away to E (formerly the valley of the Afon Clywedog). Surrounding slopes moderate to strong to N and S, steep to E and 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:  Spur summit

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

Altitude:  390.0m

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 (1886-87). CPAT Montgomeryshire Small enclosures project 1990-97. Visited by T. Driver RCAHMW 2005.

Investigations:
Other (2005):   RCAHMW visit.
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   OS map.
Other (None):   CPAT Montgomeryshire Small enclosures project.

Interior Features

At least two level areas with rock-cut rear 'walls' forming hollow platforms. Also boggy areas and a wide level area inside gate suggesting possible yard.

Water Source

Boggy areas in interior. Llyn (Afon) Clywedog 0.3 outside fort.

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

Surface

At least two level areas with rock-cut rear 'walls' forming hollow platforms. Also boggy areas and a wide level area inside gate suggesting possible yard.

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

Well-preserved oblique entrance passage through SE wall, with two, possibly natural, monoliths outside. Gap to N possibly modern.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
2:   Gap to N possibly modern.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Passage-way/Corridor (South east):   Oblique passage.
1. Oblique (South east):   Oblique passage.
1. Other Forms (South east):   Monoliths outside possibly connected.

Enclosing Works

Unditched dry-stone wall, now collapsed, possibly 3.5m to 4m thick; some faces still visible to S and W. On gentler N and S sides additional walls c. 55m and 18m respectively from enclosure. Probably outworks.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.27ha.
Total:   0.27ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   On gentler N and S sides additional walls c. 55m and 18m respectively from enclosure. Probably outworks.

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

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:
✗   No ditch visible.

Number of Ditches:  0

Annex:
✗   None

References

Musson, C. 2012. Montgomeryshire hillforts and enclosures from the air, in Britnell, W.J. and Silvester, R.J. (eds) Reflections on the past. Essays in honour of Frances Lynch. Cambrian Archaeological Association, 351-368.

Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions in Wales and Monmouthshire, 1911. An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire, I, County of Montgomery, No. 593, London: HMSO.

Silvester, R.J. and Britnell, W.J. 1993. Montgomeryshire small enclosures project. Summary Report 1993, CPAT Report No 80, Welshpool, Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust.

Spurgeon, C.J. 1972. Enclosures of Iron Age type in the Upper Severn Basin, In Lynch, F. and Burgess, C. (eds.) 1972, Prehistoric man in Wales and the West, 327-28, 6, Bath: Adams and Dart.



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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