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HER:  Glamorgan Gwent 00317s (None)
NMR:  ST 07 NW 5 (305431)
SM:  None
NGR:  ST00747835
X:  300740  Y:  178350  (OSGB36)
Small, sub-circular, univallate, hillslope fort located on S-facing slope in commanding position near summit to N of hill above the Ely Valley to E and headwaters of River Thaw to W. Moderate surrounding slopes. Measures c.60m in diameter to 0.3ha internal area, set on a S-facing slope. Defined by bank and ditch, with counterscarp on N and NE, overall c. 18m wide and to 0.6m high where best on E. On SE small semicircular projection from inner bank, c. 7.5m diameter with ditch following its outer edge. Heavily ploughed in past and almost gone on W as result, including possible entrance site on SW. Divided by hedge-line. Pasture and divided by hedge-line. Rectangular enclosure to SW of site. Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed
X:  -381968  Y:  6709379  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -3.431279649934214  Latitude:  51.49530141100619  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Vale of Glamorgan
Historic County:  Glamorgan
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Penllyn
Heavily ploughed in past and almost gone on W as result, including possible entrance site on SW. Divided by hedge-line.
| Extant   | ✓ |
| Cropmark   | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed   | ✗ |
Pasture.
| Woodland   | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation   | ✗ |
| Parkland   | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing)   | ✓ |
| Arable   | ✓ |
| Scrub/Bracken   | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop   | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland   | ✗ |
| Heath   | ✗ |
| Built-up   | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
Small, sub-circular, univallate, hillslope fort located on S-facing slope in commanding position near summit to N of hill above the Ely Valley to E and River Thaw to W. Moderate 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:  Hillslope
| North   | ✗ |
| Northeast   | ✗ |
| East   | ✗ |
| Southeast   | ✗ |
| South   | ✓ |
| Southwest   | ✗ |
| West   | ✗ |
| Northwest   | ✗ |
| Level   | ✗ |
Altitude:  110.0m
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 |
RCAHMW investigation 1966. GGAT Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan survey 2005.
| Other (1966):   | RCAHMW investigation. |
| Other (2005):   | GGAT Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan survey. |
None
Immediately to NE, and downhill, rectangular enclosure with stream flowing through from spring immediately outside hillfort ramparts. Reservoir has been suggested, but no evidence for this, nor any other connection with the hillfort.
| 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   | ✗ |
Heavily ploughed and almost gone on W, possible entrance site on SW.
| 1:   | Estimated only. |
| 2:   | Estimated only. |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (South west):   | None |
Measures c.60m in diameter to 0.3ha internal area, set on a S-facing slope. Defined by bank and ditch, with counterscarp on N and NE, overall c. 18m wide and to 0.6m high where best on E. On SE small semicircular projection from inner bank, c. 7.5m diameter with ditch following its outer edge.
| Area 1:   | 0.3ha. |
| Total:   | 0.3ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.
None
| ✗   | None |
| ✓   | None |
| 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   | ✗ |
Counterscarp on N and NE.
| 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:  1
| ✗   | 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, 661, 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