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HER:  Clwyd Powys 100789 (None)
NMR:  SJ 04 NE 1 (306592)
SM:  DE252
NGR:  SJ05474775
X:  305470  Y:  347750  (OSGB36)
Small and degraded rocky contour hillfort located in prominent position high on the summit of Mynydd Rhyd-ddu above Dinas Melin-y-Wig hillfort (Atlas No. 1177). Moderate to strong surrounding slopes. Measures c. 60m by 40m, with internal area 0.33ha. Much robbed for stone and formerly consisted of a substantial encircling stone wall 3m-4.5m at its base, now some 0.75m-1m, and to 0.8m high only at best, no ditch. Traces of wall foundations can still be found in places, best seen sweeping round at N end. Possible N entrance. Rough upland grazing and bare rock. On 1st Ed. OS map (1875). Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed
X:  -379674  Y:  6986449  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -3.410667403294859  Latitude:  53.01865491284  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Denbighshire
Historic County:  Merioneth
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Betws Gerfil Goch
Much robbed for stone. Affected by modern wall.
| Extant   | ✓ |
| Cropmark   | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed   | ✗ |
Rough upland grazing and bare rock.
| Woodland   | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation   | ✗ |
| Parkland   | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing)   | ✓ |
| Arable   | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken   | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop   | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland   | ✗ |
| Heath   | ✗ |
| Built-up   | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
Small and degraded rocky contour hillfort located in prominent position high on the summit of Mynydd Rhyd-ddu. Moderate to strong surrounding slopes.
| 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:  389.0m
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 (1875). CPAT small enclosures in North-east Wales Project 1999 report.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1875):   | OS map. |
| Other (1999):   | CPAT small enclosures in North-east Wales Project. |
None.
Stream 1.1km 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   | ✗ |
Possible N entrance.
| 1:   | None |
| 2:   | None |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North):   | None |
Much robbed for stone and formerly consisted of a substantial encircling stone wall 3m-4.5m at its base, now some 0.75m-1m, and to 0.8m high only at best. Traces of wall foundations can still be found in places, best seen sweeping round at N end. No ditch.
| Area 1:   | 0.33ha. |
| Total:   | 0.33ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.
None
| ✗   | None |
| ✗   | Much robbed and only traces remain. |
| NE Quadrant:   | 1 |
| SE Quadrant:   | 1 |
| SW Quadrant:   | 1 |
| NW Quadrant:   | 1 |
| Total:   | 1 |
| Partial Univallate   | ✗ |
| Univallate   | ✓ |
| Partial Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Unknown   | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate   | ✗ |
| Univallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Bivallate   | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
| Multivallate   | ✗ |
Stone-walled site.
| 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 visible. |
Number of Ditches:  0
| ✗   | None |
Bowen, E.G. and Gresham, C.A. 1967. History of Merioneth 1, Dolgellau, 172.
Jones, N.W. 1999. Small enclosures in North-east Wales, Project Report, CPAT Report 290, Welshpool: CPAT.
Manley, J. 1990. A preliminary survey of some undated small settlements in North-east Wales, Arch Camb, 21-55.
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