Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1575 Pen-y-Gaer, Pen-Clawdd, Glamorgan

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Glamorgan Gwent 00198w (None)

NMR:  SS 59 NW (305609)

SM:  GM198

NGR:  SS53659554

X:  253650  Y:  195540  (OSGB36)

Summary

Significant, but damaged, partial contour fort sited on sloping ground of spur overlooking the Afon Loughor where the estuary narrows east of Slathouse Point. Surrounding slopes very steep to all points N, steep to W and moderate to strong to E and S. Measures c. 160m long from E to W by 95m wide. with internal area 0.9ha. Natural defence on N and S with single earthen bank constructed E-W, in the SE on the crest of a hill crowned by modern field bank, better preserved on E where c. 8m wide and to 3m high. W rampart less at c. 6m wide and 1m high. To N the bank merges into the very steep N scarp. On E modern gap, but to SW break of 4.0m between end of rampart and slope of natural scarp possible original entrance. No internal structures visible. Pasture with scrub and trees surrounds. Damaged and path NE-SW passes through site. Minimal investigations, undated. On OS 1:25,000 map (1937-1961).

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -458232  Y:  6735208  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.116371713835465  Latitude:  51.639525775215766  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Swansea

Historic County:  Glamorgan

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llanrhidian Higher

Monument Condition

Damaged. Paht NE-SW through site.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Pasture with scrub and trees surrounds.

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

Significant, but damaged, partial contour fort sited on sloping ground of spur overlooking the Afon Loughor where the estuary narrows east of Slathouse Point. Surrounding slopes very steep to all points N, steep to W and moderate to strong to E and S.

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:  Spur

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

Altitude:  76.0m

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 OS 1:25,000 map (1937-1961). RCAHMW investigation 1961. GGAT Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan survey 2005.

Investigations:
Other (1961):   RCAHMW investigation.
Other (2005):   GGAT Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan survey.
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   None

Interior Features

None

Water Source

Stream 0.6km outside fort.

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

Surface

None

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

On E modern gap, but to SW break of 4.0m between end of rampart and slope of natural scarp possible original entrance

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
2:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

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

Enclosing Works

Natural defence on N and S with single earthen bank constructed E-W, in the SE on the crest of a hill crowned by modern field bank, better preserved on E where c. 8m wide and to 3m high. W rampart less at c. 6m wide and 1m high. To N the bank merges into the very steep N scarp. 0.9ha.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.9ha.
Total:   0.9ha.

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:   0
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

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:
✗   No ditch recorded.

Number of Ditches:  0

Annex:
✗   None

References

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, 623, Cardiff: HMSO.

Savory, H.N. 1949. List of hill-forts in Wales, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 13, 160.



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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