LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Dyfed 2798 (None)
NMR: SM 82 SW (305327)
SM: PE480(PEM)
NGR: SM 8090 2435
X: 180900 Y: 224350 (OSGB36)
Partial contour hillfort with annexe located in commanding position on NE summit of SW-facing spur of Gribin Ridge, just inland of Solva Head promontory, dominating the landward NE end of Solva harbour and Solva River. One of three forts on the ridge, see also Gribin Ridge Fort (Atlas No 2953) and Gribin Promontory Fort (Atlas No 1976). Very steep or steep slopes to N, E, S and W, moderate along ridge to NE where widens out to coastal plateau. To SW ridge falls slightly, narrowing to an ar'te. Main enclosure sub-rectangular, measuring c. 100m NE-SW by 85m, with internal area 0.99ha. The defences are lightly defended and difficult to interpret, but Murphy et al - DAT (2007) define best on SW beneath a hedge-bank where single earth bank with no trace of ditch rises to c. 2m externally. On N and S only a scarp to c. 1.5m high externally at W end, but fading to nil at E. At NE spread bank to 6m wide and 0.5m high, fading to nothing at SE corner. Traces of ditch at NE corner, where entrance. Annexe, or outer enclosure, best to SW of main enclosure as 1m high bank externally, lying 100m away and so cutting off approach along the ar'te. Bank curves round to NE and SE where fades into scarp running along the sharp breaks of slope defining ridge-top, thus forming the annexe, but not as a complete circuit as the easily approachable NE side left undefended. Under improved grassland. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889).
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -577127 Y: 6777471 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -5.184417786924282 Latitude: 51.87453252816457 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Pembrokeshire
Historic County: Pembrokeshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Solva
Banks low and spread.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Improved pasture with hedge-bank affecting defences on SW.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✓ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Partial contour hillfort lwith annexe located in commanding position on NE summit of SW-facing spur of Gribin Ridge, just inland of Solva Head promontory, dominating the landward NE end of Solva harbour and Solva River. Very steep or steep slopes to N, E, S and W, moderate along ridge to NE where widens out to coastal plateau. To SW ridge falls slightly, narrowing to an arte.
| 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: Spur ridge.
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 55.0m
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 1973. Field Observation CADW 1996. Field Observation DAT 2006. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1889): | OS map. |
| Other (1973): | Field observation OS. |
| Other (1996): | Field observation CADW. |
| Other (2006): | Field observation DAT. |
| Other (None): | Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey. |
None
Stream 0.2km outside fort.
| 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 | ✗ |
Traces of ditch at NE corner of main enclosure, where entrance.
| 1: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North east): | None |
Defences best on SW beneath a hedge-bank where single earth bank with no trace of ditch rises to c. 2m externally. On N and S only a scarp to c. 1.5m high externally at W end, but fading to nil at E. At NE, spread bank to 6m wide and 0.5m high, fading to nothing at SE corner. Traces of ditch at NE corner.
| Area 1: | 0.99ha. |
| Total: | 0.99ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | Quadrants estimated, as defences light and difficult to interpret. |
| NE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SW Quadrant: | 1 |
| NW Quadrant: | 1 |
| Total: | 1 |
| 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 |
| ✓ | Traces of ditch at NE corner. |
Number of Ditches: 1
| ✓ | Annexe, or outer enclosure, best to SW of main enclosure as 1m high bank externally, lying 100m away and so cutting off approach along the arte. Bank curves round to NE and SE where fades into scarp running along the sharp breaks of slope defining ridge-top, thus forming the annexe, but not as a complete circuit as the easily approachable NE side left undefended. |
Crossley, D.W. 1963. List of Hill-Forts and other earthworks in Pembrokeshire, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 20, 183.
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 SM72 and SM82, Cambria Archaeology Report No. 2007/01, Project Record No. 54269, Llandeilo: Cambria Archaeology.
Rees, S. 1992. A guide to ancient and historic Wales - Dyfed, London: HMSO,73.
RCAMWM 1925. An inventory of the ancient monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire, VII, County of Pembroke, London: HMSO, No. 1169.
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