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HER:  Glamorgan Gwent 00161m (None)
NMR:  SS 88 SW 30 (307355)
SM:  GM240
NGR:  SS84228270
X:  284220  Y:  182700  (OSGB36)
Small contour hillfort located on W end of limestone promontory of Kenfig Hill overlooking Kenfig Burrows and estuary of Afon Cynffig and sea to W on the Gower. Surrounding slopes steep to NE, moderate elsewhere. Sub-rectangular in shape, c.122m E-W by 52m, to over 0.4km in interior area. Formerly defined by double banks and ditches around the circuit. Encloses 0.4ha. Overall damage results in much fragmentation and loss. Best, but spread, on S; poor on N. Banks vary from c. 0.3-.1.7m high and to 10 wide. Ditches depth to 1.5m. Entrance possibly simple gap of 4m in inner rampart at SE corner. No internal features. Destroyed by quarry, which eats into site, for c. 30m from W end. Setting affected by power lines. On 1st Ed. OS map (1876-77). Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed
X:  -408608  Y:  6715810  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -3.6705842174467582  Latitude:  51.53125373694491  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Bridgend
Historic County:  Glamorgan
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Cynffig
Damaged. About 30m of interior has been removed by quarrying from W end, visible on 1:2500 OS map of 1876-77 and later. Setting affected by power lines.
| Extant   | ✓ |
| Cropmark   | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed   | ✓ |
Pasture and quarry.
| Woodland   | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation   | ✗ |
| Parkland   | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing)   | ✓ |
| Arable   | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken   | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop   | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland   | ✗ |
| Heath   | ✗ |
| Built-up   | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✓ |
Small contour hillfort located on W end of limestone promontory of Kenfig Hill overlooking Kenfig Burrows and estuary of Afon Cynffig and sea to W on the Gower. Surrounding slopes steep to NE, moderate elsewhere.
| 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:  Promontory
| North   | ✗ |
| Northeast   | ✗ |
| East   | ✗ |
| Southeast   | ✗ |
| South   | ✗ |
| Southwest   | ✗ |
| West   | ✗ |
| Northwest   | ✗ |
| Level   | ✓ |
Altitude:  130.0m
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 (1876-77). RCAHMW investigation 1967. GGAT Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan survey 2005.
| Other (1967):   | RCAHMW investigation. |
| Other (2005):   | GGAT Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan survey. |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   | OS map. |
None
None
| 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   | ✗ |
Entrance possibly simple gap of 4m in inner rampart at SE corner.
| 1:   | None |
| 2:   | None |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (South east):   | Entrance through inner rampart. |
Formerly defined by double banks and ditches around the circuit. Overall damage results in much fragmentation and loss. Best, but spread, on S; poor on N. Banks vary from c. 0.3-.1.7m high and to 10 wide. Ditches depth to 1.5m. Encloses 0.4ha.
| Area 1:   | 0.4ha. |
| Total:   | 0.4ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.
None
| ✗   | None |
| ✓   | Former banks specified in quadrants. Now fragmented. |
| NE Quadrant:   | 2 |
| SE Quadrant:   | 2 |
| 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 |
Gerrard, C., Wiggins, H., and Evans, E. 2006. Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan with recommendations for fieldwork: Year 3 Report, GGAT Report No 2006/089, Project No GGAT78, Swansea: GGAT.
RCAHMW 1976. An inventory of the ancient monuments in Glamorgan, 1.2, Pre-Norman, Parts I-III, 680, Cardiff: 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