Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA1991 Castell Coch, Trevine, Pembrokeshire (Castell Coch, Trefin; Castell Coch, Tref-Fin)

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Dyfed 2848 (None)

NMR:  SM 83 SW (3065297)

SM:  PE029(PEM)

NGR:  SM 840 338

X:  184000  Y:  233800  (OSGB36)

Summary

Large coastal promontory fort located on WNW-facing promontory dominating Pwll Whiting, Pwll Llong, Pwll Olfa and Aber Draw to Porthgain. Sea cliffs to N, S and W, level to moderate landward to ENE. Sea erosion lost proportion of interior. Level to slightly sloping interior measures c. 200m E-W by 100m at widest, wiith area c. 1.7ha. Two lines of earth and stone rampart cut across the narrow neck of the promontory on ENE, c. 50m-60m wide, outer bank larger, to c. 1m high, with an outer, c. square-cut, rock-cut ditch to 4m wide and 2m deep. Inner bank slightly less, with a slight ditch. Entrance unclear, but possibly simple gap at S end of defences. Circular platform in the centre of the site possible hut platform. Coastal grassland and some bare rock. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -572782  Y:  6793001  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -5.145384484947812  Latitude:  51.96057905421044  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Pembrokeshire

Historic County:  Pembrokeshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llanrhian

Monument Condition

Sea erosion lost proportion of interior. Pembrokeshire Coast Path to NE. Substantial cliff edge wall just outside rock-cut ditch.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Coastal grassland and some bare rock.

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

Large coastal promontory fort located on WNW-facing promontory dominating Pwll Whiting, Pwll Llong, Pwll Olfa and Aber Draw to Porthgain. Sea cliffs to N, S and W, level to moderate landward to ENE.

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:  Coastal promontory

Aspect:
North   ✗
Northeast   ✗
East   ✗
Southeast   ✗
South   ✗
Southwest   ✗
West   ✓
Northwest   ✗
Level   ✗

Altitude:  40.0m

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 1966. Field Observation AMB 1981. Field Observation DAT 1993, 1996. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1889):   Os map.
Other (1981):   Field Observation AMB.
Other (1996):   Field Observation OS 1966.
Other (None):   Field Observation DAT.
Other (None):   Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey.

Interior Features

Circular platform in the centre of the site possible hut platform.

Water Source

None

Source:
None   ✓
Spring   ✗
Stream   ✗
Pool   ✗
Flush   ✗
Well   ✗
Other   ✗

Surface

Circular platform in the centre of the site possible hut platform.

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

Entrance unclear, but possibly simple gap at S end of defences, with modern path running through.

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 east):   Possible.

Enclosing Works

Two lines of earth and stone rampart cut across the narrow neck of the promontory on ENE, c. 50m-60m wide, outer bank larger, to c. 1m high, with an outer, c. square-cut, rock-cut ditch to 4m wide and 2m deep. Inner bank slightly less, with a slight ditch.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   1.7ha.
Total:   1.7ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   2
SE Quadrant:   2
SW Quadrant:   0
NW Quadrant:   0
Total:   2

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

Earth and stone banks.

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:
✓   Outer ditch rock-cut.

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, 177.

Driver, T. 2007. Pembrokeshire, Historic Landscapes from the Air, Aberystwyth: RCAHMW, 102.

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. 523.



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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