Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1637 Mynydd y Gaer, Glamorgan

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Glamorgan Gwent 00383m (None)

NMR:  SS 98 SE (None)

SM:  GM084

NGR:  SS97358495

X:  297350  Y:  184950  (OSGB36)

Summary

Sub-circular, partial contour fort located end of a SE-facing spur projecting from Mynydd y Gaer to watershed between Ewenni Fach and Afon Clun. Steep surrounding slopes on all sides, apart from NW access from spur ridge, where moderate. Deep stream valleys on NE and SW. Internal area c. 1ha. Site defined by strong earthen bank and ditch with counterscarp bank. Where best measures c. 20m wide by 3m high overall. Banks seem set out in straight sections, forming irregular polygon, apparently of twelve sides though damage makes uncertain. This could be evidence of gang working. Possible S entrance with possible worn-down inturn of 10m. Modern gap on E and uncertain, part levelled, gap on NW. Other modern gaps, track passes through it. Field banks outside fort probably modern. On 1st Ed. OS map (1877). Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -387617  Y:  6719885  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.48202136694845  Latitude:  51.554020236974715  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Bridgend

Historic County:  Glamorgan

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Coychurch Higher

Monument Condition

Mutilated. Track passes through site.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Grass and scrub in interior and banks, but cultivated in past.

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

Partial contour fort located end of a SE-facing spur projecting from Mynydd y Gaer to watershed between Ewenni Fach and Afon Clun. Steep surrounding slopes on all sides, apart from NW access from spur ridge, where moderate.

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:  225.0m

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 1st Ed. OS map (1877). GGAT Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan survey 2005.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1877):   OS map.
Other (2005):   GGAT Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan survey.

Interior Features

None

Water Source

None

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

Possible S entrance with possible worn-down inturn of 10m. Modern gap on E and uncertain, part levelled, gap on NW. Other modern gaps.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
5:   Modern gap on E and uncertain, part-levelled, gap on NW. Other modern gaps.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. In-turned (South):   None
2. Simple Gap (North west):   Possible entrance, but uncertain.

Enclosing Works

Site defined by strong earthen bank and ditch with counterscarp bank. Banks seem set out in straight sections, forming irregular polygon, apparently of twelve sides though damage makes uncertain. This could be evidence of gang working.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   1.0ha.
Total:   1.0ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
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

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:
✓   Banks seem set out in straight sections, forming irregular polygon, apparently of twelve sides though damage makes uncertain. This could be evidence of gang working.

Ditches:
✓   None

Number of Ditches:  1

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.



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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