Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1728 Pen y Gaer, Llanaelhaearn, Caernarfonshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Gwynedd 1314 (None)

NMR:  SH 44 NW 6 (93530)

SM:  CN052

NGR:  SH42904550

X:  242900  Y:  345500  (OSGB36)

Summary

Small stone-built contour hillfort situated high on isolated prominent spur of Yr Eifl on the Ll_n. Opposite to Carn Pentryrch (Atlas No. 1726). Surrounding slopes moderate to strong to N, steep to E and S, very steep to W. Numerous bare rock outcrops on summit and on steep N and E slopes. To E wet moorland. Internal area 0.6ha. Single drystone wall, up to 4.5 m thick, except on NW were rests on crags. No ditch visible. Ancient road leads towards the fort from the NE. The entrance on W is a passage 3.3m long and 2.1m wide. Circa dozen round hut platforms. A small trench cut 1939 (no details) revealed occupation earth and a small potsherd. Traces of surrounding field systems seemingly ploughed out. Rough upland grazing, moorland and bare rock. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -483311  Y:  6979989  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.341655466225008  Latitude:  52.9837323741725  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Gwynedd

Historic County:  Caernarfonshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llanaelhaearn

Monument Condition

Much spread walls.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Rough upland grazing and moorland. Bare rock.

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 stone-built contour hillfort situated high on isolated prominent spur of Yr Eifl on the Ll_n. Small stone-built contour hillfort situated high on isolated prominent spur of Yr Eifl on the Llyn. Opposite to Carn Pentryrch (Atlas No. 1726). Surrounding slopes moderate to strong to N, steep to E and S, very steep to 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:  Spur

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

Altitude:  389.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

None

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

On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). RCAHMW investigation 1956. Ordnance Survey observations 1963, 1972, 1976. GAT investigation 1972. Small trench cut 1939 (no details). GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey 2005-2006.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1889):   OS map.
Excavation (1939):   No details.
Other (1956):   RCAHMW investigation.
Other (1972):   GAT investigation.
Other (2005):   Visited by Hillfort Study Group
Other (None):   Ordnance Survey observations.
Other (None):   GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey.

Interior Features

Twelve ill-defined terraced platforms c. 6m in diameter probably site of wooden huts. A small trench cut 1939 revealed occupation earth and a small potsherd.

Water Source

Stream 0.25km outside fort.

Source:
None   ✓
Spring   ✗
Stream   ✗
Pool   ✗
Flush   ✗
Well   ✗
Other   ✗

Surface

Twelve ill-defined terraced platforms c. 6m in diameter probably site of wooden huts.

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

Small trench cut 1939 revealed occupation earth and a small potsherd.

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

Ancient road leads towards the fort from the NE. The entrance on W is a passage 3.3m long and 2.1m wide.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
None:   Walls spread - total not determined.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Passage-way/Corridor (West):   None

Enclosing Works

Single dry-stone wall, up to 4.5 m thick, except on NW were rests on crags. No ditch visible. 0.6ha.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.6ha.
Total:   0.6ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
SE Quadrant:   1
SW Quadrant:   1
NW Quadrant:   1
Total:   1

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

Stone-walled site.

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 visible.

Number of Ditches:  0

Annex:
✗   None

References

RCAHMW 1960. Caernarvonshire Vol II: Central, A survey and inventory by the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire, No 1057, 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.



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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