Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1743 y Werthyr, Llanddeusant, Anglesey

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Gwynedd 2077 (None)

NMR:  SH 38 SE 6 (None)

SM:  AN158

NGR:  SH36338431

X:  236330  Y:  384310  (OSGB36)

Summary

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.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

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

Monument Condition

Almost gone through ploughing.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✓
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Improved pasture.

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

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.

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:  Hill top

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

Altitude:  60.0m

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 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.

Investigations:
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.

Interior Features

Up to eight circular house platforms preserved within interior on the E side. Enclosure circuit outline visible from air.

Water Source

None

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

Surface

None

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

Up to eight circular house platforms preserved within interior on the E side.

Interior Features (Geophysics):
No Known Geophysics   ✗
Pits   ✗
Roundhouses   ✓
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗
Nothing Found   ✗

Finds

None

Interior (Finds):
No Known Finds   ✓
Pottery   ✗
Metal   ✗
Metalworking   ✗
Human Bones   ✗
Animal Bones   ✗
Lithics   ✗
Environmental   ✗
Other   ✗

Aerial

Enclosure circuit outline visible from air.

Interior Features (Aerial):
APs Not Checked   ✓
None   ✗
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Pits   ✗
Postholes   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Other   ✗

Entrances

Possible overlapping entrance on NE.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
None:   Nearly destroyed - not determined.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Over-lapping (North east):   None

Enclosing Works

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.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.65ha.
Total:   0.65ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   3
SE Quadrant:   3
SW Quadrant:   3
NW Quadrant:   3
Total:   3

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

None

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:
✓   None

Number of Ditches:  3

Annex:
✗   None

References

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.



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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