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HER:  Gwynedd 2077 (None)
NMR:  SH 38 SE 6 (None)
SM:  AN158
NGR:  SH36338431
X:  236330  Y:  384310  (OSGB36)
Contour hillfort located in commanding position on a small hill overlooking Llyn Alaw reservoir and Afon Alaw to N to the coast. Moderate to strong surrounding slopes. Measures c. 186m SW-NE by 165m W-E with internal area 0.65ha. Site almost ploughed-out, but outline visible from aerial photographs and partly on site, ploughed. Best on S side where three parallel concentric ramparts with ditch visible, all greatly denuded. Max height 0.5m. Elsewhere line faint but can be traced. Possible overlapping entrance on NE. Geophysical survey (unknown date) results show up to eight circular house platforms preserved within interior on the E side. Improved pasture. On OS 6 inch map 1818 (site of). Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed
X:  -496405  Y:  7044332  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -4.459278516839887  Latitude:  53.33031391912938  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Isle of Anglesey
Historic County:  Anglesey
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Tref Alaw
Almost gone through ploughing.
| Extant   | ✓ |
| Cropmark   | ✓ |
| Likely Destroyed   | ✗ |
Improved pasture.
| Woodland   | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation   | ✗ |
| Parkland   | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing)   | ✓ |
| Arable   | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken   | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop   | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland   | ✗ |
| Heath   | ✗ |
| Built-up   | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
Contour hillfort located in commanding position on a small hill overlooking Llyn Alaw reservoir and Afon Alaw to N to the coast. Moderate to strong 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:  60.0m
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 |
On OS 6 inch map 1818. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Ordnanace Survey observation 1969. GAT investigation 1987. GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey 2004-2005, plus geophysics.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1818):   | OS 6 inch map. |
| Other (1889):   | OS map. |
| Other (1969):   | Ordnance Survey observation. |
| Other (1987):   | GAT investigation. |
| Geophysical Survey (2005):   | None |
| Other (None):   | GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey. |
Up to eight circular house platforms preserved within interior on the E side. Enclosure circuit outline visible from air.
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   | ✗ |
None
| No Known Excavation   | ✓ |
| Pits   | ✗ |
| Postholes   | ✗ |
| Roundhouses   | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures   | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks   | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
| Nothing Found   | ✗ |
Up to eight circular house platforms preserved within interior on the E side.
| No Known Geophysics   | ✗ |
| Pits   | ✗ |
| Roundhouses   | ✓ |
| Rectangular Structures   | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks   | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
| Nothing Found   | ✗ |
None
| No Known Finds   | ✓ |
| Pottery   | ✗ |
| Metal   | ✗ |
| Metalworking   | ✗ |
| Human Bones   | ✗ |
| Animal Bones   | ✗ |
| Lithics   | ✗ |
| Environmental   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
Enclosure circuit outline visible from air.
| APs Not Checked   | ✓ |
| None   | ✗ |
| Roundhouses   | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures   | ✗ |
| Pits   | ✗ |
| Postholes   | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
Possible overlapping entrance on NE.
| None:   | Nearly destroyed - not determined. |
| 2:   | None |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
| 1. Over-lapping (North east):   | None |
Best on S side where three parallel concentric ramparts with ditch visible, all greatly denuded. Max height 0.5m. Elsewhere line faint but can be traced. 0.65ha.
| Area 1:   | 0.65ha. |
| Total:   | 0.65ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.
None
| ✗   | None |
| ✓   | None |
| NE Quadrant:   | 3 |
| 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   | ✗ |
None
| 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 |
Lynch, F. 1970. Prehistoric Anglesey, Llangefni: Anglesey Antiquarian Society, 232.
RCAHMW 1937 (reprinted 1960). Anglesey. A survey and inventory by the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire, 114, 2, London: HMSO.
Smith, G.H. 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
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