LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Gwynedd 663 (None)
NMR: SH 76 NW 2 (95289)
SM: CN023
NGR: SH75006934
X: 275000 Y: 369340 (OSGB36)
Fine and complex stone-built contour hillfort in prominent and commanding position on hill at E end of long ridge overlooking the confluence of the Afon Dulyn and Afon Porth to S above the Conwy valley. Steep surrounding slopes. Site defined by one, two and three banks and ditches. An inner bank of stone completely surrounds the circuit, a middle is of stone on W and earth with stone facing on S and an outer bank, again of earth with stone facing, and ditch. The middle and outer ramparts can be traced on all sides except NE. Almost certainly of three periods and long occupation suggested. W entrance with massive dry-stone revetments at easiest approach. Site notable for fine chevaux de frise outside outer rampart on S and outside W entrance, made of local rocks 0.3m to 0.9m long, but mainly in the shorter lengths. C. 20 hut sites identified in interior and between ramparts with evidence of iron working in one. Some excavated by Harold Hughes 1905, but no dating evidence. Between inner and outer ramparts part of entrance built on by possible 19th century sheepfold with others near gateway. Remains of two round barrows visible to NW of entrance. Moorland, rough upland pasture and bare rock. Fair condition. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889).
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -431149 Y: 7021263 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -3.8730814121371298 Latitude: 53.20637516709112 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Conwy
Historic County: Caernarfonshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Caerhun
Fair condition.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Moorland, rough upland pasture and bare rock.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✓ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Fine and complex stone-built contour hillfort in prominent and commanding position on hill at E end of long ridge overlooking the confluence of the Afon Dulyn and Afon Porth to S above the Conwy valley. Steep 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: Hill top
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 380.0m
N/A
No dating evidence from small excavations.
Reliability: D - None
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort: | Possibly. Remains of two round barrows visible to NW of entrance. |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
Earliest reference by Pennant 1773. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Small excavation by Harold Hughes 1905. Part excavation 1939 - no details. RCAHMW investigation 1950. Ordnance Survey observation 1967. GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey 2004-2005.
| 1st Identified Written Reference (1773): | Pennant. |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1889): | OS map. |
| Excavation (1905): | H.H. Hughes. |
| Excavation (1939): | No details. |
| Other (1967): | Ordnance Survey observation. |
| Other (1967): | Visit by the Hillfort Study Group |
| Other (1992): | Visited by Hillfort Study Group |
| Other (None): | GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey. |
C. 20 hut sites identified in interior and between ramparts with evidence of iron working in one. Some excavated 1905, but no dating evidence. Metal working evidence from hut site excavated 1905.
Stream 0,2km outside fort.
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
C. 20 hut sites identified in interior and between ramparts with evidence of iron working in one. Some excavatated 1905, but no dating evidence.
| No Known Features | ✗ |
| Round Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Curvilinear Platforms | ✗ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Hut site excavated.
| 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 | ✗ |
Metal working evidence from hut site excavated 1905.
| 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 | ✗ |
W entrance with massive dry-stone revetments. Fine chevaux de frise on S and W sides.
| 4: | Possibly four breaks. |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✓
Site notable for fine chevaux de frise outside outer rampart on S and outside W entrance, made of local rocks 0.3m to 0.9m long, but mainly in the shorter lengths.
| 1. Simple Gap (West): | None |
An inner bank of stone completely surrounds the circuit, a middle is of stone on W and earth with stone facing on S and an outer bank, again of earth with stone facing, and ditch. The middle and outer ramparts can be traced on all sides except NE. 3.2ha
| Area 1: | 3.2ha. |
| Total: | 3.2ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✓ | Site almost certainly the work of three periods. |
| ✓ | Inner rampart completes circuit, middle and outer missing on NE. |
| NE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SE Quadrant: | 3 |
| SW Quadrant: | 3 |
| NW Quadrant: | 3 |
| Total: | 3 |
| Partial Univallate | ✓ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✓ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✓ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
Inner rampart built entirely of stone and completely encloses site; other banks built of stone and stone and earth.
| 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: 3
| ✗ | None |
Gardner, W. 1906 Note on the Defences of Pen y Gaer, Arch Camb, 6th series, 257-267.
Hughes, H. 1906 Exploration of Pen-y-gaer, above Llanbedr-y-cennin, Arch Camb, 6th series, 241-256.
Lynch, F. 1995. A guide to ancient and historic Wales - Gwynedd, London: HMSO, 72-3.
RCAHMW 1956. Caernarvonshire Vol I: East, A survey and inventory by the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire, No 315 , 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