Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1927 Castell Caerwen, Pembrokeshire (Castell Kilkiffeth)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

Scroll left/right to view further images.

HER:  Dyfed 1538 (None)

NMR:  SN 03 SW 9 (304365)

SM:  PE407(PEM)

NGR:  SN01733416

X:  201730  Y:  234160  (OSGB36)

Summary

Possible small inland promontory fort located on N-facing promontory in Kilkiffeth Wood above confluence of Afon Gwaun and Pontfaen Brook to N. Steep surrounding slopes (steepest on W) with gentler rising ground to S. Internal area measures c. 80m E-W by 54m, with area c. 0.43ha. Overlooked from S. defined by single bank and ditch to S, bank rising to 2m above ditch, but only 0.4m above interior. Rubble on S may be relict stone wall. SW entrance lined by few large boulders. Probable promontory fort although Fenton (1994) associates it with medieval figure of Dafydd. Wooded with brambles and scrub. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Unconfirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Unconfirmed

Location

X:  -544118  Y:  6794779  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.887895663396957  Latitude:  51.970418853212486  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Pembrokeshire

Historic County:  Pembrokeshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Cwm Gwaun

Monument Condition

None

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Woodland, brambles and scrub.

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

Possible small inland promontory fort located on N-facing promontory in Kilkiffeth Wood above confluence of Afon Gwaun ad Pontfaen Brook to N. Steep surrounding slopes (steepest on W) with gentler rising ground to S.

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:  99.0m

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:   Medieval connotations have been suggested in past, but no evidence for this.

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Field Observation OS 1964. Field Observation CADW 1981, 1994, 1998. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1889):   OS map.
Other (1964):   Field Observation OS.
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

SW entrance lined by few large boulders.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (South west):   None

Enclosing Works

Defined by single bank and ditch to S, bank rising to 2m above ditch, but only 0.4m above interior. Rubble on S may be relict stone wall

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.43ha.
Total:   0.43ha.

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:   1
SW Quadrant:   1
NW Quadrant:   0
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

Rubble on S may be relict stone wall.

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:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

Fenton, R.A. 1994. A historical tour through Pembrokeshire, Haverfordwest: Reprinted by Cyngor Sir Dyfed County Council , Cultural Services Department.

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.



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


Document Version 1.1