Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1813 Bulliber Camp, Pembrokeshire (Castle Lady Fort, Castlemartin; Buliber)

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Dyfed 549 (None)

NMR:  SR 99 NW (94106)

SM:  PE021(PEM)

NGR:  SR 9028 9662

X:  190280  Y:  196620  (OSGB36)

Summary

Fine, heavily enclosed, multivallate partial contour hillfort located on slight hillock on edge of moderate to strong SSW-facing slopes to Castle Lady Valley c. 10m below. Near Brownslade Burrows and the sea to W. Just to W of Warman's Hill fort (Atlas No 1811). Overlooked from N, but commanding and intimidating position guarding the access to the sea and landings W down the Castle Lady Valley. Moderate to strong surrounding slopes. Oval shaped measuring c. 74m E-W by 62m, with internal area 0.6ha. An inner bank and ditch encloses the fairly level interior for the complete circuit with entrance on N side. Three further outer banks and ditches to W, with entrance gap between them and passageway to inner gap on N. Three slighter outer banks and ditches lie on E side. To N and S sides scarped natural slopes. RCAHMW (Coflein) suggest 19th century reports of 'well made pottery' may suggest Romano-British, or post-Roman occupation. Interior pasture and banks were largely cleared of scrub by Defence Estates. Within MOD Firing Range Danger Area. On 1st Ed. OS map (1865). Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -560118  Y:  6733349  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -5.031630061443343  Latitude:  51.62916297219658  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Pembrokeshire

Historic County:  Pembrokeshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Castlemartin

Monument Condition

Good programme of scrub clearance by Defence Estates has cleared most of the ramparts. Within MOD Firing Range Danger Area with notices for access times.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

None

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

Located on the slopes of Castle Lady valley near Brownslade Burrows and the sea.

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:  Small hillock.

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  25.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

Undated but RCAHMW suggest 19th century reports of 'well made pottery' may suggest Romano-British, or post-Roman occupation.

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 (1865). Field Observation OS 1965. Field Obseervation CADW 1999, 2002. Field Observation DAT 2004. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1865):   OS map.
Other (1965):   Field observation OS.
Other (2005):   Field observation DAT.
Other (None):   Field observation CADW.
Other (None):   Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey.

Interior Features

RCAHMW suggest nineteenth century reports of 'well made pottery' may suggest Romano-British, or post-Roman occupation.

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

Nineteenth century reports of 'well made pottery'.

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

W entrance through outer two banks with a passageway to gap through the inner bank to N.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

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

Enclosing Works

An inner bank and ditch encloses the fairly level interior for the complete circuit. Three further outer banks and ditches to W. Three slighter outer banks and ditches lie on E side. To N and S sides scarped natural slopes.

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:   4
SE Quadrant:   4
SW Quadrant:   4
NW Quadrant:   4
Total:   4

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:  4

Annex:
✗   None

References

Crossley, D.W. 1963. List of Hill-Forts and other earthworks in Pembrokeshire, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 20, 187.

Driver, T. 2007. Pembrokeshire Historic Landscapes from the Air, Figures 11, 39 and 322, Aberystwyth: RCAHMW.

Murphy, K., Ramsey, R., Poucher, P. and Page, M. 2007. A Survey of Defended Enclosures in Pembrokeshire, 2006-2007: Gazetteer of Ordnance Survey Grid Squares SR89, SR99, SS09 and SS19, Cambria Archaeology Report No. 2007/01, Project Record No. 54269, Llandeilo: Cambria Archaeology.

RCAMWM 1925. An inventory of the ancient monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire, VII, County of Pembroke, London: HMSO, No. 143.



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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