Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA2006 West Pickard Camp, Pembrokeshire (Pickard)

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Dyfed 3099 (None)

NMR:  SM 80 SE 28 (103073)

SM:  PE167(PEM)

NGR:  SM 8624 0103

X:  186240  Y:  201030  (OSGB36)

Summary

Univallate coastal promontory fort located on SSW-facing headland on S shore of the Angle peninsula and dominating East and West Pickard Bays and landings. Eroding sea cliffs on SE and SW quadrants, level to moderate landward to N. Estimated at least W half of site lost to sea. Oval in shape measuring c. 60m N-S by 52m, with internal area now c. 0.29ha. Defined by curving rampart, probably stone-walled, and ditch 105m long cutting off the headland on NE, bank rising to 3m above the ditch and 1.3m high internally. Ditch rock-cut on E side. Simple gap entrance on SE angle. Boundary bank runs along rampart at W end. Affected by WWII military installations, including probable weapons pits on bank and circular gun emplacement to E. Pembrokeshire Coast Path crosses ramparts to NE. Coastal grassland and bare rock. On 1st Ed. OS map (1875). Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -566907  Y:  6740180  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -5.0926083946321405  Latitude:  51.66723674303195  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Pembrokeshire

Historic County:  Pembrokeshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Angle

Monument Condition

Pembrokeshire Coast Path crosses ramparts to NE. Eroding sea cliffs on S quadrants - estimated at least W half of site lost to sea. Affected by WWII military installations, including probable weapons pits on bank and circular gun emplacement to E.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

Coastal grassland and bare rock. WWII installations.

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

Univallate coastal promontory fort located on SSW-facing promontory on S shore of the Angle peninsula and dominating East and West Pickard Bays and landings. Sea cliffs on SE and SW quadrants, level to moderate landward to N.

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 headland

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

Altitude:  38.0m

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:   Affected by WWII military installations, including weapons pits and circular gun emplacement to E.

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

On 1st OS map (1875). Field Observation OS 1965, 1975. Field observation AMB 1981. Field Observation DAT 1994, 1996, 2002. Field observation CADW 2000. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1875):   OS map.
Other (1981):   Field observation AMB.
Other (2002):   Field observation CADW.
Other (None):   Field Observation OS.
Other (None):   Field Observation DAT 1994, 1996, 2002.
Other (None):   Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey.

Interior Features

None

Water Source

Stream 1.1km outside fort.

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

Surface

None

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

Simple gap entrance on SE angle.

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):   None

Enclosing Works

Defined by curving rampart, probably stone-walled, and ditch 105m long cutting off the headland on NE, bank rising to 3m above the ditch and 1.3m high internally. Ditch rock-cut on E side.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.29ha.
Total:   0.29ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
SE Quadrant:   0
SW Quadrant:   0
NW Quadrant:   0
Total:   1

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

Probably stone-walled site.

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:
✓   Ditch rock-cut on E side.

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

Crossley, D.W. 1963. List of Hill-Forts and other earthworks in Pembrokeshire, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 20, 177.

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.

RCAMWM 1925: Pembrokeshire Inventory No. 214; RCAMWM 1925. An inventory of the ancient monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire, VII, County of Pembroke, London: HMSO, No. 20.



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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