Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1284 Castell Tinboeth, Radnorshire (Castell Dinbaud, Llananno)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Clwyd Powys 50476 (None)

NMR:  SO 07 NE (96533)

SM:  RD038(POW)

NGR:  SO 09006 75449

X:  309006  Y:  275449  (OSGB36)

Summary

The medieval Castell Tinboeth, located on hill top above Castle Wood and River Ithon to SW, lies within possible Iron Age hillfort at Llanbadarn Fynydd. Evidence for location of contour hillfort masked by castle defences, probably constructed in late 13th century by powerful Mortimer family and mentioned in documents of 1316 and 1322. Dominant remains of the site are the castle ringwork, with impressive deep ditch, and stone traces of castle's twin-towered gatehouse at NE point. Enough evidence to suggest preceding enclosure, and detailed earthwork survey much needed. Possible hillfort measures c. 45m by 50m, with internal area c. 0.88ha. May be downhill from ringwork, with two banks and ditches. Bank and ditch following the scarp running off S side of ringwork possibly being the S defences of the enclosure; now disturbed by later quarrying. On SE this curves and closes in on two banks and ditches, and this possibly part of a funnelled entrance, but not proven. To N of these also possible that defences ran across this area. Grass and scrub. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Minimal investigations.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Unconfirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Unconfirmed

Location

X:  -371579  Y:  6867209  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.3379532357908897  Latitude:  52.36947562505634  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Powys

Historic County:  Radnorshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llanbadarn Fynydd

Monument Condition

Much affected by medieval castle and disturbed by quarrying on S.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

Grassy interior of banks and remains. Some scrub. Medieval castle. 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

Possible contour hillfort located on hill top above Castle Wood and River Ithon to SW.

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:  404.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

Probably Iron Age, but conjecture only.

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:   Medieval castle.

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). CPAT defended enclosures survey 2006.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1889):   OS map.
Other (2006):   CPAT defended enclosures survey.

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

On SE, bank curves and closes in on two banks and ditches, and this suggested as part of a funnelled entrance, but not proven.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   Total breaks cannot be determined.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   Possible entrance only.

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Passage-way/Corridor (South east):   Not proven

Enclosing Works

Possible surviving remains of enclosure may be downhill from ringwork on W, with two banks and ditches, and bank and ditch following the scarp running off S side of ringwork, possibly being S defences of the enclosure; now disturbed by later quarrying. On SE this curves and closes in on two banks and ditches.

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:
✗   Quadrants not proven, especially to N.

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

Composition not determined.

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:  2

Annex:
✗   None

References

Silvester, R.J. and Hankinson, R. 2006. Defended enclosures in Radnorshire. Project report, CPAT Report 781, 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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