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HER:  Dyfed 3901 (None)
NMR:  SN 21 SE (304180)
SM:  None
NGR:  SN25881024
X:  225880  Y:  210240  (OSGB36)
Small, univallate, inland promontory fort located on the tip of SE-facing spur, just above a deep wooded stream valley and stream confluence on S flowing to West Marsh and Carmarthen Bay. Steep surrounding slopes to SE, S and W, moderate or moderate to strong to N W along spur and E. Triangular shaped interior, single bank and ditch cuts off the promontory on the NW, with steep natural slopes on E and S, area unknown. Bank ploughed on W for c. 28m, the 25m on N better preserved with external height of 2m above base of ditch. Ditch also ploughed in past and now slight hollow all around the circuit. Small, central gap in rampart possible original entrance or location of a trench excavated through rampart in 1905. Under improved pasture. On OS 1:25,000 map (1937-61). Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science:  ✗
Reliability of Data:  Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed
X:  -503681  Y:  6757504  (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude:  -4.524644012568855  Latitude:  51.763656075242686  (EPSG:4326)
Country:  Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority:  Carmarthenshire
Historic County:  Carmarthenshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llanddowror
Bank part ploughed on W and ditch ploughed.
| Extant   | ✓ |
| Cropmark   | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed   | ✗ |
Under improved pasture.
| Woodland   | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation   | ✗ |
| Parkland   | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing)   | ✓ |
| Arable   | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken   | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop   | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland   | ✗ |
| Heath   | ✗ |
| Built-up   | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
Small, univallate, inland promontory fort located on the tip of SE-facing spur, just above a deep wooded stream valley and stream confluence on S flowing to West Marsh and the sea. Steep surrounding slopes to SE, S and W, moderate or moderate to strong to N W along spur and E.
| 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:  Spur
| North   | ✗ |
| Northeast   | ✗ |
| East   | ✗ |
| Southeast   | ✓ |
| South   | ✗ |
| Southwest   | ✗ |
| West   | ✗ |
| Northwest   | ✗ |
| Level   | ✗ |
Altitude:  110.0m
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 |
Part excavation G.G.T. Treherne 1905. On OS 1:25,000 map (1937-61). Field Observation OS 1968, 1975. Field Observation DAT 1983, 1985, 2001. Field Observation CADW 1993. Dyfed Archaeological Trust defended enclosures survey 2007-2008.
| Excavation (1905):   | Part excavation G.G.T. Treherne. |
| Other (1993):   | Field observation CADW. |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   | None |
| Other (None):   | Field observation OS. |
| Other (None):   | Field observation DAT. |
| Other (None):   | Dyfed Archaeological Trust defended enclosures survey. |
None
Stream 0.1km 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   | ✗ |
No details of 1905 excavation.
| 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   | ✗ |
NO APPARENT FEATURES
| APs Not Checked   | ✓ |
| None   | ✗ |
| Roundhouses   | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures   | ✗ |
| Pits   | ✗ |
| Postholes   | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks   | ✗ |
| Other   | ✗ |
Small, central gap in rampart possible original entrance or location of a trench excavated through rampart in 1905.
| 1:   | None |
| 2:   | None |
Guard Chambers:  ✗
Chevaux de Frise:  ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North west):   | Possible, or excavation trench. |
Single bank and ditch cuts off the promontory on the NW, with steep natural slopes on W and S. Bank ploughed on E for c. 28m, the 25m on N better preserved with external height of 2m above base of ditch. Ditch also ploughed in past and now slight hollow all around the circuit.
| Area 1:   | 0.39ha. |
| Total:   | 0.39ha. |
Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.
None
| ✗   | Area not defined. |
| ✗   | None |
| NE Quadrant:   | 0 |
| SE Quadrant:   | 0 |
| SW Quadrant:   | 0 |
| NW Quadrant:   | 1 |
| Total:   | 1 |
| 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   | ✗ |
No details of 1905 trench.
| 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 |
| ✓   | Ditch ploughed in past and now slight hollow all around the circuit. |
Number of Ditches:  1
| ✗   | None |
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 SN20, and SN21, Dyfed Archaeological Trust Report No. 2007/27, Project Record No. 62767, Llandeilo: Dyfed Archaeological Trust.
Royal Commission on the ancient and historical monuments and constructions in Wales and Monmouthshire 1917. An inventory of the ancient monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire, V, Carmarthen, 166, London: HMSO.
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
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