Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA2074 Holgan, Pembrokeshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Dyfed 3573 (None)

NMR:  SN 01 NE (304410)

SM:  PE102(PEM)

NGR:  SN 0730 1820

X:  207300  Y:  218200  (OSGB36)

Summary

Inland promontory fort located on SE-facing promontory above Drim Wood and wooded stream to E and confluence to S, flowing into Cleddau Ddu to SW. Steep slopes to N, E and S, rising moderately to NW. Triangular in form, interior measuring c. 110m E-W by 50m, with area c. 0.55ha. Two strong curving earth banks and ditches with counterscarp on W side running from NE-SW cut off the promontory on the NW side, now overlain by hedge-bank. Banks c. 12m wide and rise to over 4m above the ditches which are c. 6m wide. Inner bank continues around the whole of the promontory in much reduced form. Entrance on S limit of banks where gap before steep slopes. Section excavated through defences in early 1980's by G. Williams and H. Mytum (1998) showed that ditches almost 3m deep and that banks had front and rear timber palisades. C14 dates suggest short-lived occupation in 4th and 3rd centuries BC. Under coniferous forestry and affected by forestry operations. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889-90).

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -534110  Y:  6769275  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.797987656913313  Latitude:  51.829053364772335  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Pembrokeshire

Historic County:  Pembrokeshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llawhaden

Monument Condition

Affected by forest operations.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Coniferous forestry.

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

Inland promontory fort located on SE-facing promontory above Drim Wood and wooded stream to E and confluence to S, flowing into Cleddau Ddu to SW. Steep slopes to N, E and S, rising moderately to NW.

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:  Spur promontory

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  95.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

C14 dates suggest short-lived occupation in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC.

Reliability:  B - Medium

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:
C14:   Dates of 4th and 3rd centuries BC.

Investigation History

On 1st Ed. OS map (1889-90). Field Observation OS 1966. Field observation AMB 1981. Section excavated through defences in early 1980's by G. Williams and H. Mytum. Trial excavation DAT 1984. Field observation CADW 2000. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.

Investigations:
Other (1966):   Field Observation OS.
Other (1981):   Field observation AMB.
Excavation (1984):   Trial excavation DAT.
Other (2000):   Field observation CADW.
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   OS map.
Other (None):   Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey.
Excavation (None):   Section excavated through defences in early 1980's by G. Williams and H. Mytum.

Interior Features

None

Water Source

None

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

Entrance on S limit of banks where gap before steep slopes.

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 west):   None

Enclosing Works

Section excavated through defences in early 1980s by G. Williams and H. Mytum showed that ditches almost 3m deep and that banks had front and rear timber palisades.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.55ha.
Total:   0.55ha.

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:   1
SW Quadrant:   2
NW Quadrant:   2
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

None

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

Earth banks wth front and rear timber palisades.

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:
✓   Section excavated through defences in early 1980s by G. Williams and H. Mytum showed that ditches almost 3m deep.

Number of Ditches:  2

Annex:
✗   None

References

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 SN01, Cambria Archaeology Report No. 2007/01, Project Record No. 54269, Llandeilo: Cambria Archaeology.

Williams, G.H. and Mytum, H. 1998. Llawhaden, Dyfed. Excavations on a group of small defended enclosures, 198-84, BAR British Series 275, Oxford: Archaeopress.



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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