Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1915 Castell Forlan, Pembrokeshire (Castell Vorlan)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Dyfed 1309 (None)

NMR:  SN 02 NE 3 (304456)

SM:  PE284(PEM)

NGR:  SN 0915 2658

X:  209150  Y:  226580  (OSGB36)

Summary

Multivallate inland promontory fort located on E-facing spur above sharp bend of wooded stream to E and small stream valley 30m below to S. Steep surrounding slopes to N, E and S, moderate rising to W along spur. Roughly rectangular in shape measuring c.130m E-W by 60m with internal area 0.51ha. Three massive banks running E-W for c. 45m and ditches cut off the promontory on the W side, elsewhere protected by the steep slopes. Inner bank to 5m above interior and 4m above ditch. Middle bank rises to 3.2m high and outer 2m high. No outside ditch visible. Banks stop short of steep drop at S end of bank forming entrance. Interior under conifers, banks and ditches bracken, and brambles scrub. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -531640  Y:  6782957  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.775805748943692  Latitude:  51.90494558808473  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Pembrokeshire

Historic County:  Pembrokeshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Maenclochog

Monument Condition

Good massive banks.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Interior under conifers, banks and ditches bracken, and brambles scrub. Dismantled railway line on E tip of promontory. Wooded surrounding slopes.

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

Multivallate inland promontory fort located on E-facing spur above sharp bend of wooded stream to E and small steam valley 30m below to S. Steep surrounding slopes to N, E and S, moderate rising to W along spur.

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:  Spur

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  160.0m

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

On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Field Observation OS 1974. Field Observation AMB 1981. Field Observation CADW 1991, 1998. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1889):   OS map
Other (1974):   Field Observation OS
Other (1981):   Field observation AMB.
Other (None):   Field observation CADW.
Other (None):   Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey.

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

Banks stop short of steep drop at S end of bank forming entrance.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (West):   None

Enclosing Works

hree massive banks running E-W for c. 45m and ditches cut off the promontory on the W side, elsewhere protected by the steep slopes. Inner bank to 5m above interior and 4m above ditch. Middle bank rises to 3.2m high and outer 2m high. No outside ditch visible.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.51ha.
Total:   0.51ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   None

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

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:
✓   No outer ditch visible - possibly buried feature.

Number of Ditches:  2

Annex:
✗   None

References

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 SN02, 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. 1141.



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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