Satellite Imagery
Satellite Imagery
HER: Dyfed 2198 (None)
NMR: SN 31 SE (95725)
SM: CM004(CAM)
NGR: SN35141014
X: 235140 Y: 210140 (OSGB36)
Excavated evidence of Iron Age inland promontory fort associated with the massive medieval castle, in commanding position on scarp edge directly above the Afon Tywi to SE. Steep or very steep surrounding slopes to E and S, moderate to strong to N and W. Possible evidence of semi-circular bank and ditch on the land approach to the castle on N, S and W, with the steep natural slopes on SE side forming the defence. Earthworks of hillfort incorporated in castle defences, and now impossible to determine area, extent or vallation of site. These medieval/Iron Age earthworks best on W of castle, as three lines of bank and ditch, with further line of bank and ditch 70m to W. Sample excavations by Guilbert and Schweiss in 1971 and 1973 found complex history with C14 dates of early Iron Age. Public access site. Castle on 1st Ed. OS map (1889).
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -488752 Y: 6757847 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -4.390536525249117 Latitude: 51.76556201578792 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Carmarthenshire
Historic County: Carmarthenshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Llansteffan
Beneath medieval castle. Public access site.
| Extant | ✗ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✓ |
Hillfort earthworks utilised in castle defences.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✗ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✓ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
Excavated evidence of Iron Age inland promontory fort associated with the medieval castle, in commanding position on scarp edge directly above the Afon Tywi to SE. Steep or very steep surrounding slopes to E and S, moderate to strong to N and W.
| 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: Scarp edge.
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 65.0m
N/A
3 Radio carbon dates of charcoal: 500-90 cal BC; 510-70 cal BC; 520-70 cal BC
Reliability: B - Medium
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✓ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
| C14: | None |
Castle on 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Sample eexcavations by G. Guilbert and Schweiss 1971 and 1973. Field observation OS 1967. Field observation CADW 1994. Field observation DAT 1994. Dyfed Archaeological Trust defended enclosures survey 2007-2008.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1889): | OS map. |
| Other (1971): | Field observation OS. |
| Other (1994): | Field observation CADW |
| Other (1994): | Field observation DAT |
| Excavation (None): | G. Guilbert and Schweiss |
| Other (None): | Dyfed Archaeological Trust defended enclosures survey. |
None
Castle water supply. Afon Tywi 0.15km below site.
| 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 | ✗ |
Not determined.
| 0: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
Possible evidence of semi-circular bank and ditch on the land approach to the castle on N, S and W, with the steep natural slopes on SE side forming the defence. Earthworks of hillfort incorporated in castle defences, and now impossible to determine area, extent or vallation of site. These medieval/Iron Age earthworks best on W of castle, as three lines of bank and ditch, with further line of bank and ditch 70m to W.
| Area 1: | 0.45ha. |
| Total: | 0.45ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✗ | Quadrants not determined. |
| NE Quadrant: | None |
| SE Quadrant: | None |
| SW Quadrant: | None |
| NW Quadrant: | None |
| Total: | None |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✓ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
None
| None | ✓ |
| Earthen Bank | ✗ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Rubble | ✗ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Possible evidence of semi-circular bank and ditch on the land approach to the castle on N, S and W, with the steep natural slopes on SE side forming the defence. Earthworks of hillfort incorporated in castle defences, and now impossible to determine area, extent or vallation of site.
| 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 |
| ✓ | None |
Number of Ditches: 1
| ✗ | None |
Guilbert, G. 1974. Llanstephan Castle: 1973 Interim Report, Carmarthen Ant, 10 (1974), 37-48.
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 SN31, Dyfed Archaeological Trust Report No. 2007/27, Project Record No. 62767, Llandeilo: Dyfed Archaeological Trust.
Savory, H.N. 1954. List of hill-forts and other earthworks in Carmarthenshire. Bull Board Celtic Stud, 16, 62.
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