LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Clwyd Powys 657 (None)
NMR: SO 12 SW 12 (92158)
SM: BR153(POW)
NGR: SO1261024350
X: 312610 Y: 224350 (OSGB36)
Large and complex, high, multi-period and prominent contour hllfort located at the summit of Allt yr Esgair, an isolated, elongated, sandstone, NNW-SSE ridge/hill, overlooking the River Usk to SW at its confluence with Caer Fanell, and Llangorse Lake to NE at Llangors. On the interfluve between the Wye (Afon Llynfi to E) and Usk catchments. Opposite to Tump Wood hillfort (Atlas No. 1327). Surrounding slopes N steep, S and W very steep, E precipitous. Main enclosure, c. 568m NNW-SSE by 100m, with internal area c. 6ha. Entrances face along the ridge to N and S. N appears main entrance. Also possible entrances on W and another possibly corresponding on E. Also irregular inner enclosure set against the SW and S part of the main circuit, approximately 165m from NNW-SSE by 70m, that encircles the highest point of the ridge. Annexe to S. Possible that the main enclosure encompasses an earlier annexed enclosure on the highest part of the ridge. Probable quarry ditches. No evidence of interior structures. Disturbed with subsequent quarry workings making interpretation difficult. Rough upland grass and part-wooded. On 1st Ed. OS map (1886). Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -364224 Y: 6784006 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -3.271879828990454 Latitude: 51.91076344791867 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Powys
Historic County: Brecknockshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Llangors
Disturbed with subsequent quarry workings making interpretation difficult. Pit and linear quarrying especially near the summit. Field walls and banks of later date. Public access.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✓ |
Rough upland grass and bracken and wooded on E. Forestry Commission plantation to E. Quarrying.
| Woodland | ✓ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✓ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✓ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
Large and complex, high, multi-period and prominent contour hllfort located at the summit of Allt yr Esgair, an isolated, elongated, sandstone, NNW-SSE ridge/hill, overlooking the River Usk to SW at its confluence with Caer Fanell, and Llangorse Lake to NE at Llangors. On the interfluve between the Wye (Afon Llynfi to E) and Usk catchments. Surrounding slopes N steep, S and W very steep, E precipitous.
| Contour Fort | ✓ |
| Partial Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Promontory Fort | ✗ |
| Hillslope Fort | ✗ |
| Level Terrain Fort | ✗ |
| Marsh Fort | ✗ |
| Multiple Enclosure Fort | ✗ |
| Hilltop | ✓ |
| Coastal Promontory | ✗ |
| Inland Promontory | ✗ |
| Valley Bottom | ✗ |
| Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop | ✗ |
| Ridge | ✓ |
| Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp | ✗ |
| Hillslope | ✗ |
| Lowland | ✗ |
| Spur | ✗ |
Dominant Topographic Feature: Ridge/hill top
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 390.0m
N/A
None.
Reliability: D - None
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
On 1st Ed. OS map (1886). RCAHMW investigation 1979. CPAT defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1886): | OS map. |
| Other (1979): | RCAHMW survey. |
| Other (None): | CPAT defended enclosures survey. |
Probable quarry ditches.
Stream 0.35km outside fort.
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Probable quarry ditches.
| No Known Features | ✗ |
| Round Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Curvilinear Platforms | ✗ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✓ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| No Known Excavation | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
None
| No Known Geophysics | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
None
| No Known Finds | ✓ |
| Pottery | ✗ |
| Metal | ✗ |
| Metalworking | ✗ |
| Human Bones | ✗ |
| Animal Bones | ✗ |
| Lithics | ✗ |
| Environmental | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| APs Not Checked | ✓ |
| None | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Entrances facing along the ridge to N and S. N appears main entrance. Also possible entrances on W and another possibly corresponding on E.
| 4: | None |
| 2: | Uncertain on E and W. |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North): | None |
| 2. Simple Gap (South): | None |
| 3. Simple Gap (East): | None |
| 4. Simple Gap (West): | None |
Main enclosure, c. 568m NNW-SSE by 100m, Also irregular inner enclosure set against the SW and S part of the main circuit, approximately 165m from NNW-SSE by 70m, that encircles the highest point of the ridge. Earth and rubble ramparts, no evidence for ditches..
| Area 1: | 6.0ha. |
| Total: | 6.0ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | 6ha in final phase |
| ✓ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SW Quadrant: | 2 |
| NW Quadrant: | 1 |
| Total: | 2 |
| Partial Univallate | ✓ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✓ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
None
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Rubble | ✓ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✗ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Murus Duplex | ✗ |
| Timber-framed | ✗ |
| Timber-laced | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| No Known Excavation | ✓ |
| Other | ✗ |
| ✗ | None |
| ✗ | None |
Number of Ditches: 0
| ✓ | To S is annexe extending c. 138m to SSE and up to 47m across, that tapers to a blunt point towards the S. Possible that the main enclosure encompasses an earlier annexed enclosure on the highest part of the ridge. |
Savory, H.N. 1954. List of hill-forts and other earthworks in Wales and Monmouthshire. Additions and corrections to Sections I-III, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 15, (1952-54), 230.
Silvester, B. 2007. The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust. Defended enclosures in Brecknock, CPAT Report No 859, Welshpool: CPAT.
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 46, London: HMSO.
Atlas of Hillforts:
Wikidata:
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
Document Version 1.1