Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA2190 Parc-Castell, Llangeler, Carmarthenshire (Parc Castell)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Dyfed 1776 (None)

NMR:  SN 43 NW 11 (303803)

SM:  None

NGR:  SN41613630

X:  241610  Y:  236300  (OSGB36)

Summary

Inland promontory fort on sloping NE-facing promontory summit directly above confluence of two minor streams to E, in narrow part-wooded valley, which flow into Afon Tyweli and thence Afon Teifi to N. Steep surrounding slopes, less to SW along promontory. Triangular in shape with length of site c. 75m, with rough internal estimate of 0.4ha. Modern field boundary cuts site into two, with majority of site to NE within area of inaccessible overgrown trees and scrub. To SW under pasture. Segment of curved bank, and traces of ditch, c. 36m long, 10m wide and 0 2.4m high, recorded when OS visited the site in 1976, cutting off the rising ground of promontory on SW, which measures c. 56m across. By 1984 most bulldozed, and by 2007 no earthworks visible in the pasture on SW. It is possible that earthworks still remain in the scrub and wood to NE, but, as it is so overgrown, further detail not available. Elsewhere steep natural scarps. Original entrance possibly where 7m wide gap on E between rampart and scarp edge. Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -479662  Y:  6800568  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.3088733390880956  Latitude:  52.00244654499932  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Carmarthenshire

Historic County:  Carmarthenshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llangeler

Monument Condition

Much mutilated by agriculture.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Modern field boundary cuts site into two, with majority of site to NE within area of inaccessible overgrown trees and scrub. To SW under pasture.

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 on sloping NE-facing promontory summit directly above confluence of two minor streams to E, in narrow part-wooded valley, which flow into Afon Tyweli and thence Afon Teifi to N. Steep surrounding slopes, less to SW along promontory.

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:  170.0m

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

Field Observation OS 1968, 1976. Field Observation DAT 1984, 2007. Dyfed Archaeological Trust defended enclosures survey 2007-2008.

Investigations:
Other (None):   Field Observation OS.
Other (None):   Field Observation DAT.
Other (None):   Dyfed Archaeological Trust defended enclosures survey.

Interior Features

None

Water Source

None

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

Original entrance possibly where 7m wide gap on E end of between rampart and scarp edge.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (South west):   Possibly located at E end of bank.

Enclosing Works

Segment of curved bank, and traces of ditch, c. 36m long, 10m wide and 0 2.4m high, recorded when OS visited the site in 1976, cutting off the rising ground of promontory on SW, which measures c. 56m across. By 1984 most bulldozed and by 2007 no earthworks visible in the pasture on SW. It is possible that earthworks still remain in the scrub and wood to NE, but, as it is so overgrown further detail is not forthcoming at present. Elsewhere steep natural scarps provide defence.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.4ha.
Total:   0.4ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Estimated area.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   Quadrants as at 1976.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   0
SE Quadrant:   0
SW Quadrant:   1
NW Quadrant:   0
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

None

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:
✓   Trace of ditch possible to NE.

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

Murphy, F., Ramsey, R., Page, M. and Murphy, K. 2008. A Survey of Defended Enclosures in Carmarthenshire, 2007-08: Gazetteer of Ordnance Survey Grid Squares SN40, SN41, SN42, SN43 and SN44, Dyfed Archaeological Trust Report No. 2007/27, Project Record No. 62767, Llandeilo: Dyfed Archaeological Trust.



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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