LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Clwyd Powys 534 (None)
NMR: SO 13 SW (306046)
SM: None
NGR: SO11403273
X: 311400 Y: 232730 (OSGB36)
Large, hilltop, contour hillfort sited on the E summit of two (see Pen yr Allt - Atlas No. 1317 - on W) above the Afon Dulas to the N and the Afon llynfi to the S, and the confluence of both at Felin-fach. Surrounding slopes moderate to strong to N and S, E steep and W moderate. An elongated oval in plan, roughly 336m N-S by 128m, with internal area 3.6ha. Site defined by multiple banks, but single line on steep E. Ramparts consist of consolidated stone rubble. Counterscarp bank on W and S. In places on W frontal ditch is absent. Interior divided by cross-bank into two enclosures with no other features visible, but whether this is contemporary uncertain. Two entrances, one on S side with the inner rampart deeply inturned forming a passage circa 28m long narrowing to 3m at the gate, with simple gaps through the outer defences. The NE entrance, possibly approached by a causeway, also has a deeply inturned inner rampart with passage 25m long narrowing to 2m. Possibly partly rock-cut near the gate. Defences grass and tree covered. Affected by ploughing in the interior and inner defences and modern field banks. Parts damaged by quarrying. On 1st Ed. OS map (1887). Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -366422 Y: 6797576 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -3.291628169414344 Latitude: 51.9858971880956 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Powys
Historic County: Brecknockshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Felin-fach
Affected by ploughing in the interior and inner defences and modern field banks. Parts damaged by quarrying.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Defences rough grass and tree covered. Quarrying.
| Woodland | ✓ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
Large hilltop contor hillfort sited on the E summit two above the Afon Dulas to the N and the Afon llynfi to the S, and the confluence of both. Surrounding slopes moderate to strong to N and S, E steep and W moderate.
| 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: Hill top
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 310.0m
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 (1887). RCAHMW investigation 1969. CPAT defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1887): | OS map. |
| Other (1969): | RCAHMW investigation. |
| Other (1982): | Visit by Hillfort Study Group |
| Other (None): | CPAT defended enclosures survey. |
None.
Stream 0.45km outside fort.
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| 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 | ✗ |
Two entrances, one on the S side with the inner rampart deeply inturned forming a passage circa 28m long narrowing to 3m at the gate, with simple gaps through the outer defences. The NE entrance, possibly approached by a causeway, also has a deeply inturned inner rampart with passage 25m long narrowing to 2m. Possibly partly rock-cut near the gate.
| 5: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. In-turned (South): | Inner rampart deeply inturned. |
| 1. Passage-way/Corridor (South): | Passage circa 28m long narrowing to 3m at the gate. |
| 1. Simple Gap (South): | Simple gaps through the outer defences. |
| 2. In-turned (North east): | Deeply inturned inner rampart. |
| 2. Simple Gap (North east): | Possibly approached by a causeway. |
| 2. Passage-way/Corridor (North east): | Passage 25m long narrowing to 2m. |
Site defined by multiple banks, but single line on steep E. Ramparts consist of consolidated stone rubble. There is a counterscarp bank on the W and S. In places on the W the frontal ditch is absent. The interior is divided by a cross-bank into two enclosures with no other features visible, but whether this is contemporary is uncertain.
| Area 1: | 3.6ha. |
| Total: | 3.6ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SW Quadrant: | 2 |
| NW Quadrant: | 2 |
| 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: 2
| ✗ | None |
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.
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 55, 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