Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA2095 Denant, Pembrokeshire (Denant Rath)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Dyfed 5810 (None)

NMR:  SM 91 SW 1 (305260)

SM:  PE215(PEM)

NGR:  SM 9220 1310

X:  192200  Y:  213100  (OSGB36)

Summary

Inland promontory fort located in Denant Wood on SE-facing promontory at confluence of Merlin's Brook, which flows into the Western Cleddau at Haverfordwest, and stream flowing from W. Steep slopes for 20m to wooded stream valleys to NE, E and S, moderate along spur to W and NW. Triangular-shaped sloping interior measures c. 94m SE-NW by c. 50m, with area c. 0.5ha. Single, but impressive, rampart cuts off promontory for 55m on approachable W and NW, rising to 1.6m above interior and 6m above base of ditch, with 1m high counterscarp. Ramparts curves around for short distance at either end. Position of entrance uncertain, but Ordnance Survey put it at S end of rampart before steep slope. Densely wooded. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889-1890). Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -558129  Y:  6760057  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -5.0137538226479705  Latitude:  51.777848252858554  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Pembrokeshire

Historic County:  Pembrokeshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Tiers Cross

Monument Condition

Substantial rampart.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Dense woodland.

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 in Denant Wood on SE-facing promontory at confluence of Merlin's Brook, which flows into the Western Cleddau at Haverfordwest, and stream flowing from W. Wooded stream valleys to E, S and W, moderate along spur 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

Aspect:
North   ✗
Northeast   ✗
East   ✗
Southeast   ✓
South   ✗
Southwest   ✗
West   ✗
Northwest   ✗
Level   ✗

Altitude:  40.0m

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 (1889-1890). Field Observation OS 1965, 1975 Field Observation AMB 1981. Field Observation CADW 1991, 2002. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006-2007.

Investigations:
Other (1981):   Field observation AMB.
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   OS map.
Other (None):   Field Observation OS
Other (None):   Field observation CADW.
Other (None):   Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey.

Interior Features

None

Water Source

Stream 0.01km 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

Position of entrance uncertain, but Ordnance Survey suggest at S end of rampart before steep slope.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   Position unclear.

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (South east):   None

Enclosing Works

Single, but impressive, rampart cuts off promontory for 55m on approachable W and NW, rising to 1.6m above interior and 6m above base of ditch, with 1m high counterscarp. Ramparts curves around for short distance at either end.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.5ha.
Total:   0.5ha.

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:   0
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

1m high 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, 180.

Murphy, K., Ramsey, R., Poucher, P. and Page, M. 2007. A SURVEY OF DEFENDED ENCLOSURES IN PEMBROKESHIRE, 2006-07: GAZETTEER OF ORDNANCE SURVEY GRID SQUARE SN71, SN81 and SN91, 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. 1106.



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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