LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Gwynedd 1106 (None)
NMR: SH 62 SW 12 (55990)
SM: ME076
NGR: SH60632086
X: 260630 Y: 320860 (OSGB36)
Partial contour fort located at tip of SW-facing spur above steep slopes overlooking the narrow stream valley of Ceunant Egryn and slopes to coastal plain and the sea, mouth of the Afon Ysgethin. Surrounding slopes steep to S, moderate to strong elsewhere. Measures 60m E-W by 50m with internal area 0.24ha. Formerly a formidable site, now with tumbled, yet still massive wall, 4.5 m at its base, dry-stone to inner and outer faces and core of earth and rubble; possibly a later addition to scarped-back slopes with round-bottomed ditch. Best near entrance on W. Now mostly turf covered. Suggestions of second outer rampart enclosing small annexe at the W end. Strong, massive and elaborate slightly inturned entrance on W side. A roadway flanked by further works on the W side of the main enclosure leads through a bailey formed by outworks with V-shaped ditch. Late medieval buildings remain to N and W of fort and the site could have possible Dark Age occupation. Excavation in 1919 by O.G.S Crawford, found traces of a stone-walled building c. 8.0m across recorded, terraced into slopes in interior. Iron 'rivet' in deposit behind rampart wall and possible Cheshire VCP. Rough pasture and interior cleared of boulders. On 1st Ed. OS map (1885-1900).
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -452758 Y: 6940067 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -4.067189827887325 Latitude: 52.76728215110659 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Gwynedd
Historic County: Merioneth
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Llanelltyd
Tumbled walls.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Rough pasture. Interior cleared of boulders.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Partial contour fort located at tip of SW-facing spur above steep slopes overlooking the narrow stream valley of Ceunant Egryn and slopes to coastal plain and the sea, mouth of the Afon Ysgethin. Surrounding slopes steep to S, moderate to strong elsewhere.
| 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: Spur
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✓ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 220.0m
N/A
Probable late Iron Age occupation as VCP found in excavation, with possible Dark Age re-use.
Reliability: B - Medium
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✓ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
| Artefactual: | Cheshire VCP found. |
On 1st Ed. OS map (1885-1900). Excavation trenches dug by O.G.S. Crawford 1919. GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey 2005-2006.
| Excavation (1919): | O.G.S. Crawford. |
| Other (1985): | Visited by Hillfort Study Group |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (None): | OS map. |
| Other (None): | GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey. |
Excavation trenches 1919, traces of a stone-walled building c. 8.0m across recorded, terraced into slopes in interior. Iron 'rivet' in deposit behind rampart wall and possible Cheshire VCP.
None
| 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 | ✗ |
Excavation trenches 1919, traces of a stone-walled building c. 8.0m across recorded, terraced into slopes in interior.
| 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 | ✗ |
Iron 'rivet' in deposit behind rampart wall and possible Cheshire VCP.
| 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 | ✗ |
Strong, massive and elaborate slightly inturned entrance on W side leads steeply into the interior. The passage is 3.7 m wide with wall faces and much fallen stonework. Trackway, either holloway of flanked by tumbled stone walls, leads from inner entrance, through annexe and runs for some 100m to NW.
| None: | No estimate as tumbled walls. |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. In-turned (West): | Strong, massive and elaborate slightly inturned entrance on W side leads steeply into the interior. |
| 1. Passage-way/Corridor (West): | Passage is 3.7 m wide with wall faces and much fallen stonework. |
| 1. Hollow Way (West): | Trackway, either holloway of flanked by tumbled stone walls, leads from inner entrance, through annexe and runs for some 100m to NW. |
Formerly a formidable site, now with tumbled, yet still massive wall, 4.5 m at its base, dry-stone to inner and outer faces and core of earth and rubble; possibly a later addition to scarped-back slopes with round-bottomed ditch. Best near entrance on W. Now mostly turf covered. Suggestions of second outer rampart enclosing small annexe at the W end.
| Area 1: | 0.24ha. |
| Total: | 0.24ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✓ | Possibly two phases. |
| ✓ | Possible annexe not included in quadrants. |
| 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 | ✗ |
Stone-walled site.
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✓ |
| Rubble | ✓ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Stone wall detail.
| 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: 2
| ✓ | Suggestions of second outer rampart enclosing small annexe at the W end. Trackway, either holloway of flanked by tumbled stone walls, leads from inner entrance, through annexe and runs for some 100m to NW. |
Bowen, E.G. and Gresham, C.A. 1967. History of Merioneth 1, Dolgellau, 150-51.
Crawford, O.G.S 1920. Pen-y-Dinas, Arch Camb, 20 (1920), Part I and II, 116-25;
Savory, H.N. 1976. Guide Catalogue to the Early Iron Age Collections, National Museum of Wales, 69 No. 85, Cardidd: National Museum of Wales.
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.
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