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HER:  Dyfed 981 (None)
NMR:  SN 13 NW 19 (304048)
SM:  PE174(PEM)
NGR:  SN 1126 3762
X:  211260  Y:  237620  (OSGB36)
Bivallate inland promontory fort sited on SSE-facing promontory lower slopes directly above the Afon Nyfer, and one of a cluster of sites around a prominent hill and bend in the river and its confluence with the Afon Brynberian. Steep valley sides falling to 30m to E, S and W, moderate to N along spur. Roughly pear-shaped interior measuring c. 100m N-S by 70m with internal area c. 0.69ha. Natural defence on E, S and W, with double bank and ditch, c. 80m long, cutting off the promontory on the approachable N side. Inner rampart to 3m high internally and 5m above the ditch, the outer bank to 2m high internally and 1.3m externally, with no ditch visible. It is possible that this outer bank is in fact a counterscarp rather than a separate rampart, as suggested by Avent in 1981. Banks go to valley scarp edge on W side of rampart, but stop short on E where possible entrance. Stone circles suggested by RCHMW in 1925, now thought to be stone clearance. Interior under grass and bracken, bank under bracken and brambles. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Undated
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed
X:  -528905  Y:  6800995  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -4.751237098112544  Latitude:  52.004810431243435  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Pembrokeshire
Historic County:  Pembrokeshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Eglwyswrw
Quarrying and agricultural disturbance.
| Extant   | ✓ |
| Cropmark   | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed   | ✗ |
Grass and bracken in interior, ramparts under bracken and brambles. Quarrying.
| Woodland   | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation   | ✗ |
| Parkland   | ✓ |
| Pasture (Grazing)   | ✗ |
| Arable   | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken   | ✓ |
| Bare Outcrop   | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland   | ✗ |
| Heath   | ✗ |
| Built-up   | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✓ |
Bivallate inland promontory fort sited on SSE-facing promontory lower slopes directly above the Afon Nyfer, and one of a cluster of sites around a prominent hill and bend in the river and its confluence with the Afon Brynberian. Steep valley sides falling to 30m to E, S and W, moderate to N along spur.
| 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:  Spur promontory
| North   | ✗ |
| Northeast   | ✗ |
| East   | ✗ |
| Southeast   | ✓ |
| South   | ✗ |
| Southwest   | ✗ |
| West   | ✗ |
| Northwest   | ✗ |
| Level   | ✗ |
Altitude:  80.0m
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 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Part Survey G.H. Williams 1969. Field Observation OS 1974. Field Observation AMB 1981. Field Observation CADW 1996. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007. .
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1889):   | OS map. |
| Other (1969):   | Field observation OS. |
| Other (1969):   | Part survey G.H. Williams |
| Other (1981):   | Field observation DAT. |
| Other (1996):   | Field observation CADW. |
| Other (None):   | Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey. . |
None
Afon Nyfer 0.1 km outside fort.
| 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   | ✗ |
None
| 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   | ✗ |
None
| APs Not Checked   | ✓ |
| None   | ✗ |
| Roundhouses   | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures   | ✗ |
| Pits   | ✗ |
| Postholes   | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
Banks go to valley scarp edge on W side of rampart, but stop short on E where possible entrance.
| 1:   | None |
| 2:   | None |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North):   | None |
Natural defence on E, S and W, with double bank and ditch, c. 80m long, cutting off the promontory on the approachable N side. Inner rampart to 3m high internally and 5m above the ditch, the outer bank to 2m high internally and 1.3m externally, with no ditch visible. It is possible that this outer bank is in fact a counterscarp rather than a separate rampart, as suggested by Avent in 1981.
| Area 1:   | 0.69ha. |
| Total:   | 0.69ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.
None
| ✗   | Area estimated. |
| ✗   | None |
| NE Quadrant:   | 1 |
| SE Quadrant:   | 0 |
| SW Quadrant:   | 0 |
| NW Quadrant:   | 1 |
| Total:   | 1 |
| 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:  1
| ✗   | None |
Crossley, D.W. 1963. List of Hill-Forts and other earthworks in Pembrokeshire, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 20, 181.
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 SN03, SN13 and SN23. 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. 682.
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