Satellite Imagery
Satellite Imagery
HER: Dyfed 4205 (None)
NMR: SS 09 NW (94956)
SM: PE046(PEM)
NGR: SS 0065 9658
X: 200650 Y: 196580 (OSGB36)
Severely eroded and complex multivallate, coastal promontory fort located on SE-facing headland of Greenala Point. Precipitous sea cliffs to E, S and SW, moderate landward to W and N. Total site now c. 1.8ha, but much larger in prehistory, as severe coastal erosion, especially to S quadrants, has lost much of interior, with traces of earthworks on adjacent sea stacks. Natural defence on E and S by the precipitous sandstone sea cliffs, but to N a series of substantial slightly curving ramparts cut off the headland, constructed by terracing and sculpting the steep slopes that run down to a nearby spring. Here is a formidable line of four ramparts, or scarps, the inner to c. 5m high, with some evidence of ditches, especially between the two outer lines with main entrance into fort. In addition, length of bank c. 40m long to 0.8m high, between the two inner lines. To NE, outside these defences is level area, a possible annexe, with suggestion of modification of slope and possible oblique entrance to define area. To W, a straight bank, with 4m high exterior face, but only 0.4m high inner, with 4m wide inturned entrance, defines the interior, which now extends only to 0.4ha. Here are two distinct hollows, of indeterminate nature, a possible quarry ditch following line of inner rampart and roughly square platform, 7m wide and 0.3m high, located at the fort's highest point. Pembrokeshire Archaeological Survey of 1897-1906 describes remains of a Çkitchen midden' and portions of a skeleton recovered from the side of the cliff. Directly to W of interior small triangular annexe, with access to this area and then on into main fort interior via main entrance situated between the defences that surround the fort's interior and the three substantial lines of ramparts that surround the annexe. Fragments of walling found on the site, containing limestone and quartz blocks. Coastal grassland and bare rock predominate. On 1st Ed. OS map (1865). Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -543460 Y: 6733961 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -4.881981943388815 Latitude: 51.632574698929375 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Pembrokeshire
Historic County: Pembrokeshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Stackpole
Pembrokeshire Coastal Path immediately to N. Site now c. 1.8ha, but much larger in prehistory, as severe coastal erosion, especially to S quadrants, has lost much of interior, with traces of earthworks on adjacent sea stacks.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✓ |
Coastal grassland and bare rock predominate.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✗ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✓ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✓ |
| Other | ✗ |
Located on irregular rocky and steep headland of Greenala Point.
| 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: 35.0m
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 (1865). Pembrokeshire Archaeological Survey of 1897-1906. Field Observation OS 1965. Field observation AMB 1981. Field Observation DAT 1994, 1996. Field Observation CADW 1992, 2000. Detailed survey by RCAHMW 2009. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007. LiDAR and topographic survey (Page et al 2008).
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1865): | OS map. |
| Other (1965): | Field observation OS. |
| Other (1981): | Field observation AMB. |
| LiDAR Survey (2008): | None |
| Other (2009): | Detailed survey by RCAHMW. |
| Other (None): | Pembrokeshire Archaeological Survey. |
| Other (None): | Field observation CADW. |
| Other (None): | Field observation DAT. |
| Other (None): | Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey. |
Two distinct hollows, of indeterminate nature, a possible quarry ditch following line of inner rampart and roughly square platform, 7m wide and 0.3m high, located at the fort's highest point. Pembrokeshire Archaeological Survey of 1897-1906 describes remains of a Çkitchen midden and portions of a skeleton recovered from the side of the cliff.
Nearby spring.
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Two distinct hollows, of indeterminate nature, a possible quarry ditch following line of inner rampart and roughly square platform, 7m wide and 0.3m high, located at the fort's highest point.
| 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 | ✗ |
Pembrokeshire Archaeological Survey of 1897-1906 describes remains of a Çkitchen midden and portions of a skeleton recovered from the side of the cliff.
| 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 | ✗ |
Main entrance on NE with clear terminals. Possible oblique entrance to possible NE annexe. Inturned entrance to W annexe from main enclosure.
| 3: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Oblique (North east): | Possible oblique entrance to NE annexe. |
| 2. Simple Gap (North east): | Main entrance with clear terminals. |
| 3. In-turned (West): | Entrance to W annexe from main enclosure. |
To N a series of substantial slightly curving ramparts cut off the headland, constructed by terracing and sculpting the steep slopes that run down to a nearby spring. Here is a formidable line of four ramparts, or scarps, the inner to c. 5m high, with some evidence of ditches, especially between the two outer lines with main entrance into fort. In addition, length of bank c. 40m long to 0.8m high, between the two inner lines, stone walls.
| Area 1: | 1.8ha. |
| Total: | 1.8ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✗ | Quadrants estimated and only main ramparts cutting off headland defined. |
| NE Quadrant: | 4 |
| SE Quadrant: | 0 |
| SW Quadrant: | 0 |
| NW Quadrant: | 0 |
| Total: | 4 |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✓ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
Fragments of walling found, containing limestone and quartz blocks.
| 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 |
| ✓ | At least four. |
Number of Ditches: 4
| ✓ | To NE, outside defences is level area, a possible annexe, with suggestion of modification of slope and possible oblique entrance to defined area. Directly to W of interior small triangular annexe, defined by three banks and ditches, the outer to 4m high externally and external ditch to 2m deep, with access to this area, and then on into main fort interior, via main entrance, situated between the defences that surround the fort's interior and the three lines of ramparts that surround the annexe. |
Crossley, D.W. 1963. List of Hill-Forts and other earthworks in Pembrokeshire, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 20, 179.
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 SR89, SR99, SS09, SS19, 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 promontory forts of Pembrokeshire. Archaeol Wales, 48, 27-38.
Rees, S, 1992. A guide to ancient and historic Wales - Dyfed, London: HMSO, 82
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. 1047.
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
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