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HER:  Dyfed 4905 (None)
NMR:  SN 11 NW 5 (3042456)
SM:  PE176(PEM)
NGR:  SN 1398 1610
X:  213980  Y:  216100  (OSGB36)
Univallate partial contour hillfort located near SW-facing top of hill above the confluence of the Afon Marlais with the Afon Taf. Large size for single bank enclosure, 0.7ha. Steep slopes to E, S and W, moderate rise to NE. Overlooked. Egg-shaped measuring c. 105m N-S by 88m with annexe on E. Single bank of earth and stone and ditch defends main enclosure, bank to 2m externally, ditch now hardly visible, apart from section on E. Trace of an outwork c. 91m to NE. Three gaps for access through rampart on NE, S and W. Original entrance disputed and unclear, but possibly on NE. Bivallate annexe c. 110m N-S by and 70m on E, its outer bank c. 85m from main enclosure. Pasture interior with former scrub on banks cleared. Part plough spread. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed
X:  -523205  Y:  6766286  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -4.7000336793816455  Latitude:  51.81245804274899  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Pembrokeshire
Historic County:  Pembrokeshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llanddewi Velfrey
Plough-spread in part.
Extant   | ✓ |
Cropmark   | ✗ |
Likely Destroyed   | ✗ |
Pasture interior with former scrub on banks cleared.
Woodland   | ✗ |
Commercial Forestry Plantation   | ✗ |
Parkland   | ✗ |
Pasture (Grazing)   | ✓ |
Arable   | ✗ |
Scrub/Bracken   | ✓ |
Bare Outcrop   | ✗ |
Heather/Moorland   | ✗ |
Heath   | ✗ |
Built-up   | ✗ |
Coastal Grassland   | ✗ |
Other   | ✗ |
Univallate partial contour hillfort located near SW-facing top of hill above the confluence of the Afon Marlais with the Afon Taf. Large size for area single bank enclosure. Steep slopes to E, S and W, moderate rise to NE. Overlooked.
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:  Hill top
North   | ✗ |
Northeast   | ✗ |
East   | ✗ |
Southeast   | ✗ |
South   | ✗ |
Southwest   | ✓ |
West   | ✗ |
Northwest   | ✗ |
Level   | ✗ |
Altitude:  120.0m
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 2002, 2006. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.
1st Identified Map Depiction (1889):   | OS map. |
Other (1981):   | Field observation AMB. |
Other (None):   | Field observation OS. |
Other (None):   | Field observation DAT. |
Other (None):   | Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey. |
None
Stream 0.2km 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   | ✗ |
Three gaps through rampart on NE, S and W. Original entrance disputed and unclear, but possibly on NE. Trace of an outwork c. 91 m to NE.
3:   | None |
2:   | None |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
1. Simple Gap (North east):   | Possible only. |
Single bank of earth and stone and ditch defends main enclosure, bank to 2m externally, ditch now hardly visible, apart from section on E.
Area 1:   | 0.7ha. |
Total:   | 0.7ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.
None
✗   | None |
✓   | None |
NE Quadrant:   | 1 |
SE Quadrant:   | 1 |
SW Quadrant:   | 1 |
NW Quadrant:   | 1 |
Total:   | 1 |
Partial Univallate   | ✗ |
Univallate   | ✓ |
Partial Bivallate   | ✗ |
Bivallate   | ✗ |
Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
Multivallate   | ✗ |
Unknown   | ✗ |
Partial Univallate   | ✗ |
Univallate   | ✗ |
Partial Bivallate   | ✗ |
Bivallate   | ✗ |
Partial Multivallate   | ✗ |
Multivallate   | ✗ |
Earth and stone bank.
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 |
✓   | Only visible for c. 46m stretch on E. |
Number of Ditches:  1
✓   | Annexe c. 110m N-S by and 70m on E. Unusual in being bivallate with widely-spaced banks. Inner bank lies c. 55m from main enclosure with outer bank 30m further out. Both these banks only visible for c. 90m - plough-spread and only survive up to 0.3m - 0.6m high. However, their S ends run into the steep E hillside which provides natural defence. |
Crossley, D.W. 1963. List of Hill-Forts and other earthworks in Pembrokeshire, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 20, 197.
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 SN10, SN11 and SN12, 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. 421.
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