Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA2250 Cefn Gaer, Carmarthenshire (Bron y Gaer; Bronygaer)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Dyfed 5110 (None)

NMR:  SN 63 SE (404677)

SM:  None

NGR:  SN69923263

X:  269920  Y:  232630  (OSGB36)

Summary

Small contour hillfort, first discovered by RCAHMW during aerial reconnaissance in 2006. Sited on prominent NE-SW ridge above Afon Dulais to E. Steep surrounding slopes to N, E and S, less on W. Sub-rectangular in form, measures c. 50m NW-SE by 45m, with internal area c. 0.22ha. Visible as cropmark, but just visible on site as low earthwork, no more than 0.4m high, no ditch. Simple NE-facing entrance. Around 40m to NE a section of bivallate earthwork cuts across the ridge, possibly all that remains of bivallate annexe to the main enclosure. Possible internal features within the main enclosure suggested by aerial photographs, including small rectangular cropmark possibly house site, plus a larger rectangular feature. Improved pasture that is regularly ploughed. Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -433626  Y:  6795937  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.895326620791554  Latitude:  51.97682822226984  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Carmarthenshire

Historic County:  Carmarthenshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llansadwrn

Monument Condition

Visible as cropmark, but also just visible on-site as low remains.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✓
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Improved pasture that is regularly ploughed.

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

Small contour hillfort sited on prominent NE-SW ridge above Afon Dulais to E.

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:  Ridge

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

Altitude:  190.0m

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

Discovered during aerial reconnaissance in 2006 by RCAHMW. Field investigation RCAHM 1912. Field Observation DAT 2007. Dyfed Archaeological Trust defended enclosures survey 2007-2008. ;

Investigations:
Other (1912):   Field investigation RCAHM.
Other (2006):   Aerial reconnaissance RCAHMW.
Other (2007):   Field observation DAT.
Other (None):   Dyfed Archaeological Trust defended enclosures survey.

Interior Features

Possible internal features within the main enclosure suggested by aerial photographs, including small rectangular cropmark possibly house site, plus a larger rectangular feature.

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

Possible internal features within the main enclosure suggested by aerial photographs, including small rectangular cropmark possibly house site, plus a larger rectangular feature.

Interior Features (Aerial):
APs Not Checked   ✗
None   ✗
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✓
Pits   ✗
Postholes   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Other   ✗

Entrances

Simple NE-facing entrance with small rectangular cropmark outside of uncertain origin.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

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

Enclosing Works

Visible as cropmark, but just visible on site as low earthwork, no more than 0.4m high, no ditch.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.22ha.
Total:   0.22ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   Quadrants estiimated.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
SE Quadrant:   1
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

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:
✗   None

Number of Ditches:  None

Annex:
✓   Around 40m to NE section of bivallate earthwork cuts across the ridge, possibly all that remains of bivallate annexe to the main enclosure.

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 SN61, SN62, SN63 and SN64, 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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