Satellite Imagery
Satellite Imagery
HER: Dyfed 2960 (None)
NMR: SM 70 NE (301244)
SM: PE195(PEM)
NGR: SM 7992 0565
X: 179920 Y: 205650 (OSGB36)
Coastal promontory fort located on W-facing headland of Great Castle Head on the opposite (W) side of the Dale peninsula to Dale Point fort (Atlas No 2002), dominating W-facing bays to Gateholm. Westdale Bay to N. Sea cliffs to N, S and W, moderate inland to E. Much eroded and lost to sea, hence small size. Formerly massive double system of banks and ditches with counterscarp cutting off E side of promontory. Possible central entrance. Survey and excavation by Cambria Archaeology, 1993-94 and 1999, as result of loss of site to sea, found site to have been densely occupied as at Porth y Rhaw near St David's, despite lack of interior structures (Crane 199; 2001). At least three phases of construction confirmed. First of early to middle Iron age date. More massive second phase late Iron Age or later and third refortification and possible small medieval castle in interior of 12th to 13th century AD. Defences finished with stone walls and timber work. Sherds of pottery confirmed Iron Age and Roman occupation, but medieval pottery suggested that site refortified as the first Dale Castle when Normans occupied south Pembrokeshire (Crane 1999). Site later used as coastal defence look-out post in WWI. Coastal grassland, scrub and bare rock. On 1st Ed. OS map (1875-1876).
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -577388 Y: 6747189 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -5.186765995653383 Latitude: 51.70627237481287 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Pembrokeshire
Historic County: Pembrokeshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Dale
Much eroded and lost to sea, hence small size. Pembrokeshire Coast Path along site to E.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✓ |
Coastal grassland, scrub and bare rock. Site later used as coastal defence look-out post in WWI. Possible small medieval castle.
| 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 W-facing headland of Great Castle Head on the opposite (W) side of the Dale peninsula to Dale Point fort (Atlas No X), dominating W-facing bays to Gateholm. Westdale Bay to N. Sea cliffs to N, S and W, moderate inland to 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: 50.0m
N/A
At least three phases of construction confirmed. First of early to middle Iron age date. More massive second phase late Iron Age or later and third refortification and possible small medieval castle in interior of 12th to 13th century AD. Sherds of pottery confirmed Iron Age and Roman occupation, but medieval pottery suggested that site refortified as the first Dale Castle when Normans occupied south Pembrokeshire (Crane 1999).
Reliability: B - Medium
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✓ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✓ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
| Artefactual: | Iron Age, Roman and medieval pottery. |
| Morphology/Earthwork/Typology: | At least three phases of construction confirmed. |
On 1st Ed. OS map (1875-1876). Field Observation OS 1965, 1975. Field Observation AMB 1981. Part survey DAT 1993-1994. Field Observation DAT 1996. Field Observation CADW 1991, 2003. Part excavation DAT 1999. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.
| Other (1965): | Field Observation OS. |
| Other (1981): | Field Observation AMB. |
| Other (1996): | Field Observation DAT. |
| Excavation (1999): | DAT (P. Crane). |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (None): | OS map. |
| Other (None): | Field Observation CADW. |
| Other (None): | Part survey DAT. |
| Other (None): | Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey. |
Dense occupation of site confirmed despite lack of interior structures. Sherds of Iron Age, Roman and medieval pottery.
Stream 0.5km outside fort.
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Dense occupation of site confirmed despite lack of interior structures.
| No Known Features | ✓ |
| Round Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Curvilinear Platforms | ✗ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Dense occupation of site confirmed.
| 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 | ✗ |
Sherds of Iron Age, Roman and medieval pottery.
| 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 | ✗ |
Possible central entrance.
| 1: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (East): | Possible. |
Double system of banks and ditches with counterscarp cutting off E side of promontory. Defences finished with stone walls and timber work.
| Area 1: | 0.12ha. |
| Total: | 0.12ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✓ | At least three phases of construction confirmed. Possible 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 | ✗ |
Stone walled site.
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✓ |
| Rubble | ✗ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✓ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Defences finished with stone walls and timber work.
| 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 |
Crane, P. 1999. Great Castle Head, Dale, Pembrokeshire 1999, archaeological investigation and survey, Cambria Archaeology Project Record No. 37960, unpublished report.
Crane, P. 2001. Iron Age promontory fort to medieval castle?: excavations at Great Castle Head, Pembrokeshire 1999, Arch Camb, 148, 86-145.
Driver, T. 2007. Pembrokeshire. Historic Landscapes from the Air, Aberystwyth: RCAHMW, 101.
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 SM70 and SM80, Cambria Archaeology Report No. 2007/01, Project Record No. 54269, Llandeilo: Cambria Archaeology.
Page, M., Barker, L., Driver, T. and Murphy, K. 2008. Remote sensing and the Iron Age coastal promontory forts of Pembrokeshire, Arch in Wales, 48, 27-38.
RCAMWM 1925. An inventory of the ancient monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire, VII, County of Pembroke, London: HMSO, No. 210.
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