Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1745 Pier Camp, Bangor, Caernarfonshire (Camp Hill, Bangor)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Gwynedd 2299 (None)

NMR:  SH 57 SE 1 (302712)

SM:  CN073

NGR:  SH58087285

X:  258080  Y:  372850  (OSGB36)

Summary

Commanding contour hillfort crowning ridge on the NW side of the Bangor valley. Directly overlooks Menai Strait and Anglesey to N. Surrounding slopes steep to N and NW, moderate to S and E. Bank of broken shale, for c. 80m is reduced in places to a scarp c.1-3m high with rock outcrops running along crest of ridge. At E end it turns at right angles to run NE for up to 40m. No ditch. Inturn here possible entrance. Rest of circuit uncertain. A 4th century AD Constantinian coin found. Improved pasture. On 1:25,000 OS map (1937-1961). Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -459505  Y:  7026335  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.127806487664659  Latitude:  53.23365505091133  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Gwynedd

Historic County:  Caernarfonshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Bangor

Monument Condition

Much gone.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

Improved pasture. Development surrounds to S.

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

Strong and commanding contour hillfort crowning ridge on the NW side of the Bangor valley. Directly overlooks Menai Strait and Anglesey to N. Surrounding slopes steep to N and NW, moderate to S and E.

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:  Ridge

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

Altitude:  70.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

None. 4th century AD Constantinian coin as stray find.

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:   Possible Roman activity.
Post Hillfort:   None

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

On 1:25,000 OS map (1937-1961). GAT investigations 1985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996. GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey 2004-2005.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   OS map.
Other (None):   GAT investigations.
Other (None):   GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey.

Interior Features

A fourth century (Constantinian) coin has been found on the site.

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

None

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

Finds

A fourth century (Constantinian) coin has been found on the site.

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

Inturn on NE possible entrance.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
None:   Not determined as much gone.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. In-turned (North east):   None

Enclosing Works

Bank of broken shale, for c. 80m is reduced in places to a scarp c.1-3m high with rock outcrops running along crest of ridge. At E end it turns at right angles to run NE for up to 40m. No ditch.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.7ha.
Total:   0.7ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Area not precisely defined.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
SE Quadrant:   0
SW Quadrant:   0
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

Broken shale bank.

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:  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, 699, 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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