Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1446 Coed y Caerau, Brecknockshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Clwyd Powys 933 (None)

NMR:  SO 02 SE 2 (305733)

SM:  BR151(POW)

NGR:  SO06922400

X:  306920  Y:  224000  (OSGB36)

Summary

Triangular hillslope fort located on N-facing slope, overlooked from the SW Black Mountains, site next to Coed y Brenhin fort above Nant Menasgin and the confluence of the Afon Cynrig and the River Usk. Sides of 110m. Ravines, mainly to the E provide adequate protection, but the main, and massive, defences are to the SW, where the bank rises to c. 3.7m above the interior and the ditch is some 3m deep; elsewhere relatively slight. To the N a dry-stone revetment fronts a low scarp. Site of entrance(s) uncertain, because of modern disturbance, but probably at one of the present gaps to the SW and/or NW. Charcoal burning hearths visible may indicate medieval connotations. Main defences well-preserved under grass and trees. Grassy interior once under cultivation. Quarry damage on E. On 1st Ed. OS map (1887-88). Undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -373419  Y:  6783272  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.354481018903158  Latitude:  51.90669469109978  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Powys

Historic County:  Brecknockshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Talybont-on-Usk

Monument Condition

Main defences well-preserved under grass and trees. Grassy interior once under cultivation. Quarry damaged E defences.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

Rough grass and woodland. Quarrying.

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

Triangular hillslope fort located on N-facing slope, overlooked from the SW Black Mountains, site next to Coed y Brenhin fort above Nant Menasgin and the confluence of the Afon Cynrig and the River Usk. Sides of 110m. Ravines, mainly to the E.

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:  Hillslope

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

Altitude:  297.0m

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:   Charcoal burning hearths in interior may indicate medieval connotations.

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

On 1st Ed. OS map (1887-88). RCAHMW investigation 1969. CPAT defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.

Investigations:
Other (1969):   RCAHMW investigation.
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   OS map.
Other (None):   CPAT defended enclosures survey.

Interior Features

Charcoal burning hearths are visible.

Water Source

Stream 0.1km outside fort.

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

Surface

Charcoal burning hearths are visible.

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

Site of entrance(s) uncertain, because of modern disturbance, but probably at one of the present gaps to the SW and/or NW.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
5:   Quarry gap on E.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   Possible entrance at SW-facing entrance at the S angle.

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (South west):   None

Enclosing Works

Main, and massive, defences are to the SW, where the bank rises to c. 3.7m above the interior and the ditch is some 3m deep; elsewhere relatively slight. To the N a dry-stone revetment fronts a low scarp.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.86ha.
Total:   0.86ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   0
SE Quadrant:   1
SW Quadrant:   1
NW Quadrant:   1
Total:   1

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

Dry-stone revetment.

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:
✓   None

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

Savory, H.N. 1952. List of Hill-forts and other earthworks in Wales, III, Brecknockshire, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 14, 73.

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 26, London: HMSO.



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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