Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA2082 Castell Meherin West, Pembrokeshire (Castell Mehren West)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Dyfed 3765 (None)

NMR:  SN 11 SW 17 (304263)

SM:  PE034(PEM)

NGR:  SN 1460 1179

X:  214600  Y:  211790  (OSGB36)

Summary

Univallate partial contour hillfort, one of two adjacent enclosures (East and West - see Castell Meherin East, Atlas No. 2083) whose relationship is unclear. Located on rounded hilltop, just above a stream flowing to the sea at Saundersfoot Bay. Moderate to strong surrounding slopes. Sub-rectangular in shape, interior measures c. 80m E-W by 60m, with area 0.29ha. Divided in two by E-W hedge-bank. S of this boundary massive defence, with bank to 6m above a ditch and 2.3m above the interior and counterscarp, the area here overgrown with scrub and probably never ploughed. To N of the hedge-bank, defences of NE part of enclosure of similar size to S, but fades and absent N and NE of the enclosure. Here interior under improved pasture, but rampart overgrown. Simple entrance beneath the hedge-bank on E side. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -521949  Y:  6759356  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.688745404605632  Latitude:  51.77395477902345  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Pembrokeshire

Historic County:  Pembrokeshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Lampeter Velfrey

Monument Condition

Fair condition.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Improved pasture and scrub.

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 partial contour hillfort, one of two adjacent enclosures, located on rounded hilltop just above a stream flowing to the sea at Saundersfoot Bay.

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:  Hill top

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  205.0m

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 1965, 1975. Field observation AMB 1981. Field observation J. Rigg 1966. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1889):   OS map.
Other (1966):   Field observation J. Rigg.
Other (1981):   Field observation AMB.
Other (None):   Field Observation OS
Other (None):   Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.

Interior Features

None

Water Source

Stream 0.08km 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 entrance beneath the hedge-bank on E side.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (East):   None

Enclosing Works

Divided in two by E-W hedge-bank. S of this boundary massive defence, with bank to 6m above a ditch and 2.3m above the interior and counterscarp, the area here overgrown with scrub and probably never ploughed. To N of the hedge-bank, defences of NE part of enclosure of similar size to S, but fades and absent N and NE of the enclosure.

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:   0
SE Quadrant:   1
SW Quadrant:   1
NW Quadrant:   1
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

Possible counterscarp.

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:
✓   None

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, 192.

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.

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. 624.



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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