Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1896 Carn Alw, Pembrokeshire (Carnalw)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Dyfed 1036 (None)

NMR:  SN 13 SW 17 (94240)

SM:  PE375(PEM)

NGR:  SN 1390 3370

X:  213900  Y:  233700  (OSGB36)

Summary

Small, rocky, oval partial contour hillfort located 1.7km from Foel Drygarn (Atlas No 1895) on the lower slopes of the Preseli Hills. Moderate to strong on N, and W, steep on S, precipitous on E. Roughly triangular enclosure measures c. 66m N-S by 38m, with internal area 0.19ha. Defined by simple dry-stone wall, with no evident ditch, incorporating rock outcrops and fronting onto precipitous slopes of Carn Alw on E. Some facework still visible, but now mostly collapsed stone. Site notable for its fine chevaux de frise to SW and W sited in an arc around the entrance with stone-lined pathway. No signs of habitation, but evidence of many enclosures, huts and fields in the area. Small enclosures on either side of the entranceway probably medieval or later. Carn Meini, the source of the Stonehenge 'bluestones' is due S. Extensive and associated complex of features SE-NW about site. Tumbled stone walls and scree in extensive rough moorland. Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -524392  Y:  6794793  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.710693165798105  Latitude:  51.970497206844634  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Pembrokeshire

Historic County:  Pembrokeshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Eglwyswrw

Monument Condition

Tumbled stone walls and scree.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Very rocky rough moorland site.

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

Small, rocky, oval partial contour located 1.7km from Foel Drygarn (Atlas No X) on the lower slopes of the Preseli Hills. Moderate to strong on N, and W, steep on S, precipitous on 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:  Rock outcrop

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

Altitude:  243.0m

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

Field Observation OS 1974. Field Observation AMB 1981. Field Observation CADW 1986, 1991, 1996, 1998. Full survey H. Mytum and C.J. Webster 1989. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.

Investigations:
Other (1973):   Visited by Hillfort Study Group
Other (1974):   Field observation OS.
Other (1981):   Field observation AMB.
Other (1989):   Full survey H. Mytum and C.J. Webster.
Other (2011):   Visited by Hillfort Study Group
Other (None):   Field observations CADW.
Other (None):   Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.

Interior Features

None

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

None

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

Fine long stone-lined passageway on SW with chevaux de frise.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✓

The site is notable for its fine chevaux de frise on SW and W sited in an arc around the entrance with stone-lined pathway.

Entrances:
1. Passage-way/Corridor (South west):   Long stone-lined passage.

Enclosing Works

Defined by simple dry-stone wall, with no evident ditch, incorporating rock outcrops and fronting onto precipitous slopes of Carn Alw on E. Some facework still visible, but now mostly collapsed stone.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.19ha.
Total:   0.19ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   None

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

Stone-walled site.

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:
✗   No ditch evident.

Number of Ditches:  0

Annex:
✗   None

References

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.

Mytum, H. and Webster, C.J. 1989. A survey of the Iron Age enclosure and chevaux-de-frise at Carn Alw, Dyfed, Proc Prehist Soc, 55, 263-7.

Rees, S. 1992. A guide to ancient and historic Wales - Dyfed, London: HMSO, 60-1.



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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