Satellite Imagery
Satellite Imagery
HER: Dyfed 2735 (None)
NMR: SM 73 SE (94242)
SM: PE392(PEM)
NGR: SM788307
X: 178800 Y: 230700 (OSGB36)
Coastal promontory fort located on rocky N-facing promontory dominating Abereiddi Bay, the larger and more complex W site of two adjacent promontory forts, the smaller Little Aber Pwll fort (Atlas No 1994) to E, to which it is connected to within 20m in places by complex of banks and ditches. Severe coastal erosion and much lost to sea to N where sea cliffs, moderate elsewhere. Interior now c. 0.29ha. Possibly the result of two periods, the total enclosed by series of up to four banks and ditches extending to 172m in width. FIrst period possibly a single bank and ditch with possible annexe and W entrance, superceded by bank forming a larger enclosure cutting the original at the E end. However, this is a complex site. The main inturned gate can still be seen on W. At least one building platform in interior. Both sites are scheduled under PE392(PEM). Under rough coastal grassland. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -580971 Y: 6787606 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -5.218950004711175 Latitude: 51.93070649023558 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Pembrokeshire
Historic County: Pembrokeshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: St Davids and the Cathedral Close
Severe coastal erosion and much lost to sea to N.Pembrokeshire Coast Path passes through site.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✓ |
Under rough coastal grassland.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✗ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✓ |
| Other | ✗ |
Coastal promontory fort located on rocky N-facing promontory dominating Abereiddi Bay, the larger and more complex W site of two adjacent promontory forts. Severe coastal erosion and much lost to sea to N where sea cliffs, moderate elsewhere.
| 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: 30.0m
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). Field Observation OS 1966. Field Observation AMB 1981. Field Observation DAT 1993. Field Observation K. Laws and I. Brooks 2003. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1889): | OS map. |
| Other (1966): | Field observation OS. |
| Other (1981): | Field observation AMB. |
| Other (1993): | Field observation DAT. |
| Other (2003): | Field Observation K. Laws and I. Brooks. |
| Other (None): | Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007 |
None
None
| 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 | ✗ |
Main inturned gate to W can still be seen.
| 1: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. In-turned (West): | None |
Enclosed by series of up to four banks and ditches extending to 172m in width.
| Area 1: | 0.29ha. |
| Total: | 0.29ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✓ | Possibly result of two periods of construction, but no details. |
| ✓ | Quadrants estimated. |
| NE Quadrant: | 4 |
| SE Quadrant: | 4 |
| SW Quadrant: | 4 |
| NW Quadrant: | 4 |
| Total: | 4 |
| 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: 4
| ✓ | FIrst period defined possibly by a single bank and ditch, with possible annexe and W entrance, superceded by bank forming a larger enclosure cutting the original at the E end. |
Crossley, D.W. 1963. List of Hill-Forts and other earthworks in Pembrokeshire, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 20, 175
Driver, T. 2007. Pembrokeshire. Historic Landscapes from the Air, Figure 150, Aberystwyth: RCAHMW.
Lynch, F., Aldhouse-Green, S. and Lynch, F. 2000. Prehistoric Wales, plate 21, Stroud: Sutton Publishing;
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 SM73, SM83 and and SM93, 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. 947.
Rees, S. 1992. A Guide to Ancient and Historic Wales - Dyfed, London: HMSO, 68-9.
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