Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA2249 Carnawllon-Fawr, Carmarthenshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

Scroll left/right to view further images.

HER:  Dyfed 5781 (None)

NMR:  SN 40 NE (105737)

SM:  None

NGR:  SN48850988

X:  248850  Y:  209880  (OSGB36)

Summary

Inland promontory fort sited on small W-facing promontory above the Afon Gwendraeth Fawr to NW. Reported largely destroyed by gas pipeline c. 2007, but part of W may have survived. Site defined by ditch across the narrow part of a rock projection that overlooks the valley below, enclosing c. 40m by 75m. On W and N of fort scarp edge drops sharply to the river. On S and E relatively flat. Much ploughed in past and in 1985 Dyfed Archaeological Trust recorded that bank and ditch ploughed-out on E and S and hardly visible. But bank and ditch still on W and NW, and on W possible stone revetting could indicate entrance. Rough grass and scub. Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -466641  Y:  6758123  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.191904594376722  Latitude:  51.7670971931479  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Carmarthenshire

Historic County:  Carmarthenshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llanelli Rural

Monument Condition

Largely destroyed.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

Rough grass and scub.

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

None

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 promontory.

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

Altitude:  85.0m

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 GAT 1985. Field observation GAT 2007. Prior to construction of National Grid Milford Haven to Aberdulais Natural Gas Pipeline c. 2007 Cotswold Archaeology archaeological assessment in the area but no archaeological features were identified.

Investigations:
Other (1985):   Field observation DAT.
Other (2007):   Field observation DAT.
Other (None):   Cotswold Archaeology archaeological assessment in the area.

Interior Features

In 1980 Mr D. Jones, former owner of Carnawllon Fawr Farm, records that grandfather found several iron arrowheads in bank above the ditch.

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

In 1980 Mr D. Jones, former owner of Carnawllon Fawr Farm, records that grandfather found several iron arrowheads in bank above the ditch.

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

Recorded in 1985 on W possible stone revetting could indicate entrance.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
None:   Not recorded.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   Possible entrance.

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (West):   In 1985 on W possible stone revetting could indicate entrance.

Enclosing Works

Site defined by ditch across the narrow part of a rock projection that overlooks the valley below. Much ploughed in past and in 1985 Dyfed Archaeological Trust recorded that bank and ditch ploughed-out on E and S and hardly visible. But bank and ditch still on W and NW. Further damaged by pipeline.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.3ha.
Total:   0.3ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Estimated, now destroyed.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   Suggested quadrants only.

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

Possibly revetted bank.

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

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 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


Document Version 1.1