Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1680 Pen-y-Gaer, Llanbedrog, Caernarfonshire

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Gwynedd 443 (None)

NMR:  SH 33 SW 6 (93699)

SM:  CN221

NGR:  SH 3233 3147

X:  232330  Y:  331470  (OSGB36)

Summary

Small, sub-oval, multivallate inland promontory fort sited against steep, craggy slopes on S and W and at the edge of level ground on the E of a steep- sided valley. Opposite to Nant-y-Castell hillfort (Atlas No. 1679) above Llanbedrog and the beach. Surrounding slopes moderate on NE, steep on S and very steep/precipitous on W. Measures c. 76m NNE-SSW by 57m, with internal area 0.38ha. In angle formed by two cliffs on the W and S three lines of crescentric banks on the E and NE define site from main plateau. Innermost bank originally stone revetted. No ditch. Entrance on E. Scrub and bracken cover and recent wall make interpretation difficult and no interior features defined. Minimal investigations, undated. A

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -500014  Y:  6956134  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.491702879135107  Latitude:  52.854525905050494  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Gwynedd

Historic County:  Caernarfonshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llanbedrog

Monument Condition

Probable fair condition.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Covered with scrub and bracken.

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

Small, sub-oval, multivallate inland promontory fort sited against steep, craggy slopes on S and W and at the edge of level ground on the E of a steep- sided valley. Opposite to Nant-y-Castell hillfort above Llanbedrog and the beach. Surrounding slopes moderate on NE, steep on S and very steep on W.

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:  Promontory

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

Altitude:  73.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

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

RCAHMW investigation 1959. Ordnance Survey observation 1971. GAT investigation 1995. GAT Hut Circle Settlement Survey 1998. GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey 2005-2005.

Investigations:
Other (1959):   RCAHMW investigation.
Other (1971):   Ordnance Survey observation.
Other (1995):   GAT investigatrion.
Other (1998):   GAT Hut Circle Settlement Survey.
Other (None):   GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey.

Interior Features

None

Water Source

Possible on site supply.

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

Simple gap entrance through ramparts on E.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (East):   None

Enclosing Works

In angle formed by two cliffs on the W and S three lines of crescentric banks on the E and NE define site from main plateau. Innermost bank originally stone revetted. No ditch.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.38ha.
Total:   0.38ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   3
SE Quadrant:   3
SW Quadrant:   0
NW Quadrant:   0
Total:   3

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

Innermost bank originally stone revetted.

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 defined.

Number of Ditches:  0

Annex:
✗   None

References

Gwenogwryn, E. J. 1923. Castellmarch, Arch Camb, 78, 305.

RCAHMW 1964. Caernarvonshire Vol III: West, A survey and inventory by the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire, No 1577, London: HMSO.

Smith, G. 1998. Hut Circle Settlement Survey, Unpublished survey report GAT, Bangor: Gwynedd Archaeological Trust.

Smith, G.H. 2006. A survey of prehistoric defended enclosures in north-west Wales 2005-2006: Gwynedd Dwyfor and Meirionnydd. Report No 634. Part I: Survey Report. 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.



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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