LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Dyfed 3719 (None)
NMR: SN 11 NW 6 (304248)
SM: PE086(PEM)
NGR: SN 1446 1607
X: 214460 Y: 216070 (OSGB36)
Fine, massive, if overgrown, multivallate inland promontory fort located on SE-facing promontory above headwaters of wooded stream flowing to S to Afon Marlais and near the confluence of the Afon Marlais with the Afon Taf. N and W surrounding slopes moderate to level, E and S steep falls of c. 40m to stream valleys. Promontory cut off by three massive curving banks and ditches on NW, with inner bank to 4m above the ditch and 2.5m above the interior, with impressive berms 4.5 to 6m across between each bank. Middle bank and ditch not concentric with the other two, suggesting separate phase and possibly originally two widely-spaced banks with the third inserted between the two later. Interior is small (at 62sq m and c. 0.4ha) compared with the massive defences. Simple entrance on the E end of the NW defences c. 6m wide, with entrance passage 52m long and natural slope on the E forming one of its sides. At S end banks and ditches run to the steep slope. Terraced access track into fort runs diagonally up the slope on S side; thought possibly recent by RCAHMW (Coflein), but could be original. Very overgrown with bracken and scrub which obscures features. Surrounded by trees and woodland. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -522429 Y: 6766266 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -4.69306250035026 Latitude: 51.81234819388091 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Pembrokeshire
Historic County: Pembrokeshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Llanddewi Velfrey
Features obscured by bracken and bramble scrub.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Rough grass, bracken and scrub. Surrounding trees and woodland.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✗ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✓ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Multivallate inland promontory fort located on SE-facing promontory above headwaters of wooded stream flowing to S to Afon Marlais and near the confluence of the Afon Marlais with the Afon Taf. N and W surrounding slopes moderate to level, E and S steep falls of c. 40m to stream valleys.
| 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 promontory
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✓ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 130.0m
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 1965, 1975. Field observation AMB 1981. Field observation DAT 2006. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1889): | OS map. |
| Other (1981): | Field observation AMB. |
| Other (2006): | Field observation DAT. |
| Other (None): | Field Observation OS. |
| Other (None): | Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey. |
None
Stream 0.1km 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 | ✗ |
Simple entrance at the NE end of the NW defences c. 6m wide, with entrance passage 52m long and natural slope on the E forming one of its sides. At S end banks and ditches run to the steep slope. Terraced access track into fort runs diagonally up the slope on S side; though possibly recent by RCAHMW (Coflein), but could be original.
| 2: | None |
| 2: | Possible on S via trackway up slope. |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North west): | At NE end of NW defences. |
| 1. Passage-way/Corridor (North west): | Passage 52m long. |
| 2. Simple Gap (South): | Terraced access track into fort runs diagonally up the slope on S side; thought possibly recent by RCAHMW (Coflein), but could be original. |
Promontory cut off by three massive curving banks and ditches on NW, with inner bank to 4m above the ditch and 2.5m above the interior, with impressive berms 4.5 to 6m across between each bank. Middle bank and ditch not concentric with the other two, suggesting separate phase and possibly originally two widely-spaced banks with the third inserted between the two later.
| Area 1: | 0.4ha. |
| Total: | 0.4ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✓ | Middle bank and ditch not concentric with the other two, suggesting separate phase and possibly originally two widely-spaced banks with the third inserted between the two later. |
| ✗ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 0 |
| SE Quadrant: | 0 |
| SW Quadrant: | 0 |
| NW Quadrant: | 3 |
| Total: | 3 |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✓ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✓ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
Impressive berms between each bank and ditch.
| 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 |
| ✓ | None |
Number of Ditches: 3
| ✗ | None |
Crossley, D.W. 1963. List of Hill-Forts and other earthworks in Pembrokeshire, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 20, 186.
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 SN11, SN12 and SN13, 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, 83.
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. 420.
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