Satellite Imagery
Satellite Imagery
HER: Dyfed 2618 (None)
NMR: SM 71 SE 1 (276035)
SM: PE281(PEM)
NGR: SM 7900 1083
X: 179000 Y: 210830 (OSGB36)
Bivallate coastal promontory fort located on W-facing promontory just S of Nabs Head and dominating the bay to Wooltack Point, including Musselwick Sands. Sea cliffs 40m high to N, S and W, gentle landward to coastal plateau on E. Interior measures c. 96m by 80m, with area 0.51ha. Two banks and ditches with counterscarp, c. 140m long, cut off the promontory on E. Inner bank 14.5m wide and 3m high with ditch. Slight central bank and ditch and then counterscarp 9m wide and 0.8m high. Excavations by G.J. Wainwright in 1970 and 1971, in latter date finding two phases of dry-stone revetting within ramparts. Excavations in 1970 showed the inner bank of two phases, first of clay faced with stone, second phase more stony bank revetted with stepped walls, a murus duplex. He also found an oval structure, 11m by 9,5m in interior. Entrance lies to N of centre of ramparts, inner rampart being flattened on N side and slight depression on the terminal on S side possibly a guard chamber. Circular structure also reported in the interior to SW of the entrance by Crossley (1963, 176). Flint arrowhead, bronze fragment and ring possibly from site. Coastal grassland, scrub and bare rock. Cliff erosion removed N end of defences. On 1st Ed. OS map (1875). Undated.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -579234 Y: 6755482 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -5.203348077433008 Latitude: 51.752412858946094 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Pembrokeshire
Historic County: Pembrokeshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Marloes and St Brides
Cliff erosion removed N end of defences. Some visitor erosion as Pembrokeshire Coast Path affects site.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Coastal grassland, scrub and bare rock.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✗ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✓ |
| Other | ✗ |
Bivallate coastal promontory fort located on W-facing promontory just S of Nabs Head and dominating the bay to Wooltack Point, including Musselwick Sands. Sea cliffs 40m high to N, S and W, gentle landward to coastal plateau on E.
| 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: Coastal headland
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✓ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 31.0m
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 (1875). Excavation G. J. Wainwright 1970, 1971. Field Observation OS 1973. Field Observation AMB 1981. Field Observation CADW 1992, 2003. Field Observation DAT 1994, 1996, 2006. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1875): | OS map. |
| Other (1973): | Field observation OS. |
| Other (1981): | Field observation AMB. |
| Excavation (None): | G. Wainwright |
| Other (None): | Field observation CADW. |
| Other (None): | Field observation DAT. |
| Other (None): | Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey |
Circular structure reported in the interior to SW of the entrance (Crossley 1963, 176). Oval structure, 11m by 9.5m in interior found by Wainwright in 1971. Three small quarry pits in interior. Flint arrowhead, bronze fragment and ring possibly from site.
None
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Circular structure reported in the interior to SW of the entrance (Crossley 1963, 176). Three small quarry pits in interior.
| No Known Features | ✗ |
| Round Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Curvilinear Platforms | ✗ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✓ |
| Other | ✓ |
Oval structure, 11m by 9.5m in interior found by Wainwright in 1971.
| 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 | ✗ |
Flint arrowhead, bronze fragment and ring possibly from site.
| 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 | ✗ |
Entrance lies to N of centre of ramparts, inner rampart being flattened on N side and slight depression on the terminal on S side possibly a guard chamber.
| 1: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✓
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North east): | None |
| 1. Recesses/Guard Chambers (North east): | Slight depression on the terminal on S side possibly a guard chamber. |
Two banks and ditches with counterscarp, c. 140m long, cut off the promontory on E. Inner bank 14.5m wide and 3m high with ditch. Slight central bank and ditch and then counterscarp 9m wide and 0.8m high. Excavations showed the inner bank of two phases: first of clay faced with stone, second phase more stony bank revetted with stepped walls, a murus duplex.
| Area 1: | 0.51ha. |
| Total: | 0.51ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✓ | Excavations in 1970 showed the inner bank of two phases, first of clay faced with stone, second phase more stony bank revetted with stepped walls, a murus duplex. No details of whether initial single bank. |
| ✗ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SW Quadrant: | 0 |
| NW Quadrant: | 0 |
| Total: | 2 |
| 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 | ✗ |
Excavations showed the inner bank of two phases: first of clay faced with stone, second phase more stony bank revetted with stepped walls, a murus duplex.
| 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: 2
| ✗ | None |
Crossley, D.W. 1963. List of Hill-Forts and other earthworks in Pembrokeshire, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 20, 176.
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 SM71, SM81 and SM91, 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. 926.
Wainwright, G.J. 1972. Excavations at Tower Point, St. Brides, Pembrokeshire, Arch Camb, 120 (1971), 84-90.
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