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HER:  Clwyd Powys 649 (None)
NMR:  SO 12 SW 3 (306012)
SM:  BR036(POW)
NGR:  SO11272149
X:  311270  Y:  221490  (OSGB36)
Oval contour hillfort located on a very steep and prominent hill above Caer Fanell near its confluence with the River Usk, and on the opposite side of the valley to Tyle Clydach (Atlas No. 1328) at Talybont-on-Usk. Surrounding slopes very steep to N, S moderate to strong, E steep and W precipitous. Measures c.120m by 68m of 0.8ha internal area. Banks largely of earth and stone and inner bank most prominent on the S. Only traces of the outer ditch remain with remains of a stony counterscarp. On the S is a third rampart and ditch where the slope is less steep; maybe unfinished. Simple gap in the ramparts on SE side approached by an ancient track guarded by outworks. No features are visible in the interior. Good condition despite some trees, ploughing and division of interior by a modern fence. On 1st Ed. OS map (1887). Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed
X:  -366310  Y:  6779330  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -3.2906182591174327  Latitude:  51.88484352881057  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Powys
Historic County:  Brecknockshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Talybont-on-Usk
Good condition despite some trees, ploughing and division of interior by a modern fence.
| Extant   | ✓ |
| Cropmark   | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed   | ✗ |
Rough pasture with some trees.
| Woodland   | ✓ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation   | ✗ |
| Parkland   | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing)   | ✓ |
| Arable   | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken   | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop   | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland   | ✗ |
| Heath   | ✗ |
| Built-up   | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
Oval contour hillfort located on a very steep and prominent hill above Caer Fanell near its confluence with the River Usk. Surrounding slopes very steep to N, S moderate to strong, E steep and W 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:  Hill top
| North   | ✗ |
| Northeast   | ✗ |
| East   | ✗ |
| Southeast   | ✗ |
| South   | ✗ |
| Southwest   | ✗ |
| West   | ✗ |
| Northwest   | ✗ |
| Level   | ✓ |
Altitude:  356.0m
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 (None):   | CPAT defended enclosures survey. |
None.
River Usk 0.5km 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   | ✗ |
Simple gap in the ramparts on SE side approached by an ancient track guarded by outworks.
| 1:   | None |
| 2:   | None |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (South east):   | Approached by an ancient track guarded by outworks. |
| 1. Outworks (South east):   | Approached by an ancient track guarded by outworks. |
Banks largely of earth and stone and inner bank most prominent on the S. Only traces of the outer ditch remain with remains of a stony counterscarp. On the S is a third rampart and ditch where the slope is less steep; maybe unfinished.
| Area 1:   | 0.8ha. |
| Total:   | 0.8ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.
None
| ✗   | None |
| ✓   | None |
| NE Quadrant:   | 2 |
| SE Quadrant:   | 3 |
| SW Quadrant:   | 3 |
| NW Quadrant:   | 2 |
| Total:   | 3 |
| Partial Univallate   | ✗ |
| Univallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate   | ✓ |
| Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate   | ✓ |
| Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Unknown   | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate   | ✗ |
| Univallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Multivallate   | ✗ |
Banks largely earth and stone. Stony counterscarp. Possibly unfinished.
| 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 |
| ✓   | Only traces of outer ditch remain. |
Number of Ditches:  3
| ✗   | None |
Burham, H. 1995. A guide to Ancient and Historic Wales - Clwyd and Powys, London: HMSO, 85-7.
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 43, 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