Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1414 Caer Einon, Radnorshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Clwyd Powys 1617 (None)

NMR:  SO 05 SE (305823)

SM:  RD014(POW)

NGR:  SO 06360 53045

X:  306360  Y:  253045  (OSGB36)

Summary

Inland promontory fort located on end of S-facing ridge and rocky knoll above headwaters of Cnithio Brook, a tributary of the River Wye to S. Steep to very steep surrounding slopes, moderate along ridge to N. Area at least 0.6ha. Three banks cut off the N approaches to a rocky knoll on summit of promontory. Two outer banks cross the ridge, the outermost 20m to N, with an inner curving bank following the contours. The two inner banks strongest, third bank with ditch weaker. To E, S and W, natural slopes provide defence. Entrance through innermost bank slightly inturned, that in middle simple gap. Four possible hut circles on SW side, three to 7m diameter, one to 5m diameter. Back edges have loose stone c. 1m-2m high, suggesting cut into slope. Rough grazing and bare rock. Fair condition. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -375211  Y:  6830498  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.3705807907151404  Latitude:  52.167664844264934  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Powys

Historic County:  Radnorshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llanelwedd

Monument Condition

Fair condition.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Rough grazing and bare rock. Scrubby surrounding slopes.

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

Inland promontory fort located on end of S-facing ridge and rocky knoll above headwaters of Cnithio Brook, a tributary of the River Wye to S. Steep to very steep surrounding slopes, moderate along ridge to N.

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:  Ridge

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

Altitude:  335.0m

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). CPAT defended enclosures survey 2006.

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

Interior Features

Four possible hut circles on SW side, three to 7m diameter, one to 5m diameter. Back edges have loose stone c. 1-2m high, suggesting cut into slope.

Water Source

None

Source:
None   ✓
Spring   ✗
Stream   ✗
Pool   ✗
Flush   ✗
Well   ✗
Other   ✗

Surface

Four possible hut circles on SW side, three to 7m diameter, one to 5m diameter. Back edges have loose stone c. 1m-2m high, suggesting cut into slope.

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

Entrance through innermost bank slightly inturned, that in middle simple gap.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
2:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. In-turned (North):   Entrance through innermost bank.
2. Simple Gap (North):   Entrance though middle bank.

Enclosing Works

Three banks cut off the N approaches to a rocky knoll on summit of promontory. Two outer banks cross the ridge, the outermost 20m to N, with an inner a curving bank following the contours. The two inner banks strongest, third bank with ditch weaker. To E, S and W, natural slopes provide defence.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   Noneha.
Total:   Noneha.

Total Footprint Area:  0.6ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Area not defined precisely.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   3
SE Quadrant:   0
SW Quadrant:   0
NW Quadrant:   3
Total:   3

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

None

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:
✓   Ditch to outermost bank.

Number of Ditches:  1

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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