LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Gwynedd 1207 (None)
NMR: SH 22 NW 18 (None)
SM: None
NGR: SH23002831
X: 223000 Y: 328310 (OSGB36)
Level terrain fort located on a plateau below Mynydd Rhiw and above slope falling to SE to sea (0.9km) and Port Neigwl (Hell's Mouth). Moderate surrounding slopes. Fort almost circular c. 48m in diameter, encloses 0.22ha. Defences comprised two stone walls, now much robbed, innermost, c. 2.5m thick faced internally with large blocks. Other face not visible. Much of outer wall destroyed in N half of its circuit. No ditch visible. Third encircling bank between the two main ones on SE only may be later. Entrance c. 3.5m wide is on NE approached from the S by a terraced trackway 3m wide. Digging of trench for water pipe 1960 produced evidence of tumbled banks and occupancy layer of blackened earth and charcoal, a post-hole, part of a rotary quern and large rubber stone. Possible traces of circular structure, c. 4.5m in diameter. The front lies among terraced fields. Outline on 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -515231 Y: 6950354 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -4.628402942094071 Latitude: 52.82316157888035 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Gwynedd
Historic County: Caernarfonshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Aberdaron
Poor tumbled condition. Much of outer wall destroyed in N half of its circuit.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✓ |
Rough upland pasture and bare rock. Extensive scrub to SE.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Level terrain fort located on a plateau below Mynydd Rhiw and above slope falling to SE to sea and Port Neigwl (Hell's Mouth). Moderate surrounding slopes. General aspect SE.
| 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: SE-facing plateau
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✓ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 185.0m
N/A
None
Reliability: D - None
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
Outline on 1st Ed. OS map (1889). RCAHMW investigation 1960. Water-pipe trench dug 1960. Ordnance Survey observation 1972. GAT investigation 1979. GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey 2005-2006.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1889): | OS map. |
| Excavation (1960): | Water pipe trench dug. |
| Other (1960): | RCAHMW investigation. |
| Other (1972): | Ordnance Survey observation. |
| Other (1979): | GAT investigation. |
| Other (None): | GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey. |
Possible traces of circular structure, c. 4.5m in diameter - no details. Digging of trench for water pipe 1960 produced posthole. Digging of trench for water pipe 1960 produced occupancy layer of blackened earth and charcoal, part of a rotary quern and large rubber stone.
Stream 0.15km outside fort.
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Possible traces of circular structure, c. 4.5m in diameter. No details.
| No Known Features | ✗ |
| Round Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Curvilinear Platforms | ✗ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
Digging of trench for water pipe 1960 produced 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 | ✗ |
Digging of trench for water pipe 1960 produced occupancy layer of blackened earth and charcoal, part of a rotary quern and large rubber 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 c. 3.5m wide is on NE approached from the S by a terraced trackway 3m wide.
| None: | No estimate as result of destruction. |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North east): | Terraced trackway approach. |
Defences comprised two stone walls, now much robbed, innermost, c. 2.5m thick faced internally with large blocks. Other face not visible. Much of outer wall destroyed in N half of its circuit. Third encircling bank between the two main ones on SE only may be later. No ditch visible. 0.22ha.
| Area 1: | 0.22ha. |
| Total: | 0.22ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | Much of outer wall destroyed in N half of its circuit. |
| NE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SW Quadrant: | 2 |
| NW Quadrant: | 1 |
| Total: | 2 |
| 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 | ✗ |
Digging of trench for water pipe 1960 produced evidence of tumbled stone.
| 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 |
| ✗ | No ditch visible. |
Number of Ditches: 0
| ✗ | None |
RCAHMW 1964. Caernarvonshire Vol III: West, A survey and inventory by the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire, No 1743, London: HMSO.
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:
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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