LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Gwynedd 2392 (None)
NMR: SH 54 SE 44 (302733)
SM: ME265
NGR: SH59934276
X: 259930 Y: 342760 (OSGB36)
Much damaged partial contour hillfort located on NW point of Ynys Fawr, prominent isolated geological outcrop in the Traeth Mawr, that would formerly have formed an island in the Glaslyn Estuary flowing into sea at Portmadog; now reclaimed. Steep surrounding slopes to N and W. Roughly circular measuring 35m SW-NE by 25m SE-NW and interior slopes from NE-SW. Enclosed area not established. Former dry stone wall surrounds, robbed in 19th century for building material, but still traceable as bank to c . 4m wide and 0.5m high. Simple entrance on the SSE. No ditches. Two possible hut platforms on W side. A Large shell midden, with oyster, limpet and other shells and a large quantity of pot boilers, spills down the steep E slopes. Disturbance by cattle revealed another shell midden at SW corner of fort, partly over the ruined enclosure wall and partly outside of it. Chance find of ornamental spindle whorl and two fine bow brooches found 2009. Minimal investigations, undated. 8
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -454961 Y: 6976312 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -4.086981037713199 Latitude: 52.963842123826275 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Gwynedd
Historic County: Merioneth
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Llanfrothen
Rampart robbed of stone, but still traceable.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Scrub interior, wooded ramparts on E side.
| Woodland | ✓ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✗ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✓ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Partial contour hillfort located on NW point of Ynys Fawr, prominent isolated geological outcrop in the Traeth Mawr, that would formerly have formed an island in the Glaslyn Estuary flowing into sea at Portmadog; now reclaimed. Steep surrounding slopes to N and W. Roughly
| 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: Knoll
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✓ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 20.0m
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 |
GAT Deserted Rural Settlement Survey 1996-9. Ordnance Survey observation 1973. GAT Hut Circle Settlement Survey 1998. GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey 2005-2006.
| Other (1973): | Ordnance Survey observation. |
| Other (1998): | GAT survey. |
| Other (None): | GAT survey. |
| Other (None): | GAT prehistoric defended enclosures survey. |
Large shell midden, with oyster, limpet and other shells and a large quantity of pot boilers, spills down the steep E slopes. Disturbance by cattle revealed another shell midden at SW corner of fort, partly over the ruined enclosure wall and partly outside of it. Two possible hut platforms on W side. Ornamented 3cm diameter spindlewhorl; chance find of uncertain composition. Two fine bow brooches chance finds via badger digging 2009 on SE edge of fort in exterior slopes of rampart. Sea shells from midden.
Afon Glaslyn 0.75km outside fort.
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Two possible hut platforms on W side. Large shell midden, with oyster, limpet and other shells and a large quantity of pot boilers, spills down the steep east slopes. Disturbance by cattle revealed another shell midden at SW corner of fort, partly over the ruined enclosure wall and partly outside of it.
| 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 | ✗ |
None
| No Known Geophysics | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
Ornamented 3cm diameter spindlewhorl; chance find of uncertain composition. Sea shells from midden. Two fine bow brooches chance finds via badger digging 2009 on SE edge of fort in exterior slopes of rampart. Sea shells from midden.
| 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 | ✗ |
Simple entrance on the SSE.
| None: | Much robbed - not determined. |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (South east): | None |
Former dry stone wall surrounds, robbed in 19th century for building material, but still traceable as bank to c . 4m wide and 0.5m high. No ditches.
| Area 1: | 0.07ha. |
| Total: | 0.07ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | Area estimated |
| ✓ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SW Quadrant: | 1 |
| NW Quadrant: | 1 |
| Total: | 1 |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✓ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
Former stone wall.
| 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: 0
| ✗ | None |
Bowen E.G. and Gresham, C.A. 1967. History of Merioneth 1, Dolgellau, 144, 167.
Jones, S. and Thompson, D. 1997. Deserted Rural Settlement in Western Caernarfonshire, GAT Report 247.
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:
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
Document Version 1.1