LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Gwynedd 392 (None)
NMR: SH 77 SW 4 (95310)
SM: CN 049
NGR: SH70027379
X: 270020 Y: 373790 (OSGB36)
Prominent stone-buit contour fort located on Dinas outcrop overlooking sea to N. In area of outstanding prehistoric landscape from Neolithic. Surrounding slopes NE moderate, NW steep, S and W very steep. The outcrop is one of the sites of material for Craig Lwyd axes. Promontory much robbed for stone making interpretation difficult. Extensive rubble/scree slopes to W. Internal area 0.64ha. Defined by central enclosure c. 40m in diameter with central hut and two additional ramparts on S and one on N. Rampart walls c. 2.7m thick of loose stones faced with upright slabs, but only c. 0.3m high now. Traces of another 13 huts, 7-10m diameter, within these additional ramparts. Possibly later than ramparts. Partial excavation in 1925 by Harold Hughes and Beazant Lowe. Ramparts sectioned and central hut part-excavated producing evidence of paving, hearth and post-hole. No ditch. No dating evidence, but two quern fragments and fragments of a rubbing stone also found. Site much robbed of stone and walls now c. 0.3m high. Terraced fields and round huts and single long hut to NE, outside scheduled area. Rough upland grass and much bare rock and scree. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Undated.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -439647 Y: 7028475 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -3.9494157219641544 Latitude: 53.24515810314352 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Conwy
Historic County: Caernarfonshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Llanfairfechan
Much robbed for stone.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Rough upland grass and much bare rock and scree.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Prominent stone-buit contour fort located on Dinas outcrop overlooking sea to N. Surrounding slopes NE moderate, NW steep, S and W very steep.
| 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: Rocky hill top
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 320.0m
N/A
None
Reliability: D - None
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort: | Located in area of outstanding prehistoric landscape from Neolithic. One of sites for stone for Craig Lwyd Axes. |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). RCAHMW investigation 1948. Partial excavation by Harold Hughes and Beazant Lowe 1925. GAT investigations 1988, 1995. GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey 2004-2005.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1889): | OS map. |
| Excavation (1925): | Harold Hughes and Beazant Lowe. |
| Other (1948): | RCAHMW investigation. |
| Other (None): | GAT investigations. |
| Other (None): | GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey 200-2005. |
Traces of c. 14 huts can be seen on site. Ramparts sectioned and central hut part-excavated producing evidence of paving, heath and post-hole. No dating evidence, but two quern fragments and fragments of a rubbing stone also found.
Stream 0.2km outside fort.
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Traces of c. 14, probable stone, huts can be seen on site, but difficult as much robbed.
| No Known Features | ✗ |
| Round Stone Structures | ✓ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Curvilinear Platforms | ✓ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Ramparts sectioned and central hut part-excavated producing evidence of paving, hearth and posthole.
| 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 | ✗ |
Two quern fragments and fragments of a rubbing stone.
| 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 to inner enclosure - possible inturn on S and out-turn on N.
| None: | Total number of breaks cannot be determined as much robbed. |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. In-turned (North east): | Entrance to inner enclosure - possible inturn on S and out-turn on N. |
| 1. Out-turned (North east): | Entrance to inner enclosure - possible inturn on S and out-turn on N. |
Defined by central enclosure c. 40m in diameter with central hut and two additional ramparts on S and one on N. Rampart walls c. 2.7m thick of loose stones faced with upright slabs, but only c. 0.3m high now. No ditch. Encloses 0.64ha.
| Area 1: | 0.64ha. |
| Total: | 0.64ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | Site much robbed and interpretation difficult and quadrants estimated. |
| NE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SE Quadrant: | 3 |
| SW Quadrant: | 3 |
| NW Quadrant: | 2 |
| Total: | 3 |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✓ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✓ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
Much stone on site makes interpretation difficult.
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✗ |
| Stone Wall | ✓ |
| Rubble | ✓ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Rampart walls c. 2.7m thick of loose stones faced with upright slabs.
| 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: 0
| ✗ | None |
Brown, I. 2009. Beacons in the landscape. The hillforts of England and Wales, Oxford: Windgather Press/Oxbow Books.
Hughes, H. and Lowe, W. B. 1925. Dinas, Llanfairfechan, Arch Camb, LXXX, 342-64.
RCAHMW 1956. Caernarvonshire Vol I: East, A survey and inventory by the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire, No 391, London: HMSO.
Smith, G. , 2005 , A Survey of Prehistoric Defended Enclosures in North West Wales 2004-2005: West Conwy, Gwynedd (Arfon) and Anglesey, Bangor: Gwynedd Archaeological Trust.
Waddington, K. 2013. The Settlements of Northwest Wales: From the Late Bronze Age to the Early Medieval Period, Cardiff: University of Wales Press.
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