Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1253 Coed Fennifach, Brecknockshire (Coed Fenni-Fach Camp; Fennifach Camp; Fenni-Fach Camp)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Clwyd Powys 607 (None)

NMR:  SO 02 NW (305719)

SM:  BR042(POW)

NGR:  SO01402945

X:  301400  Y:  229450  (OSGB36)

Summary

A fairly large, sub-oval, univallate, contour fort which encloses the summit of a prominent hill 2.5km west of Brecon. Steep surrounding slopes on all sides apart from S where slightly less. Measures 131m NE-SW by 87m with internal area 0.88ha. Defined by continuous rampart with modern gaps, on much of N reduced to single earth and stone scarp with faint depression of ditch. Possible counterscarp. Original entrance possibly simple gap on SW where hollow way. However,simple gap on NE also possible entrance. No interior features. Forestry plantation and scrub on SE, NW half of interior more open. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Few investigations. Undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -382523  Y:  6791944  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.4362594113044036  Latitude:  51.95472956716457  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Powys

Historic County:  Brecknockshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Yscir

Monument Condition

Affected by forestry and later field bank boundary crossing interior with associated quarry ditch and fence breaching earthwork on NE and SW. Modern quarrying hollows on SW. Setting affected by surrounding plantations.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Forestry plantation and scrub on SE, NW half of interior more open. Quarrying.

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

A fairly large, sub-oval, univallate, contour fort which encloses the summit of a prominent hill. Steep surrounding slopes on all sides apart from S where slightly 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:  Hill top

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

Altitude:  289.0m

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 (1889). RCAHMW investigation 1980. CPAT defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1889):   OS map.
Other (1980):   RCAHMW investigation.
Other (None):   CPAT defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.

Interior Features

None.

Water Source

None

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

Original entrance possibly simple gap on SW where hollow way. However,simple gap on NE also possible entrance. Modern gaps on NW and SE.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
4:   Modern gaps on NW and SE.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (North east):   None
2. Simple Gap (South west):   Hollow way.
2. Hollow Way (South west):   Hollow way in evidence.

Enclosing Works

Defined by continuous rampart with modern gaps, on much of N reduced to single earth and stone scarp with faint depression of ditch. Possible counterscarp.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.88ha.
Total:   0.88ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   None

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

Possible counterscarp.

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

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

RCAHMW 1986. An inventory of the ancient monuments in Brecknock (Brycheiniog). The Prehistoric and Roman monuments, Vol 1, Part 2, Hill-forts and Roman remains, HF 32, London: HMSO.

Savory, H.N. 1952. List of Hill-forts and other earthworks in Wales, III, Brecknockshire, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 14, 71.

Silvester, B. 2007. The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust. Defended enclosures in Brecknock, CPAT Report No 859, Welshpool: CPAT.



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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