Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA2260 Cefn Crug, Carmarthenshire (Ystrdwal)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Dyfed 14309 (None)

NMR:  SN 73 NE (114143)

SM:  None

NGR:  SN78603550

X:  278600  Y:  235500  (OSGB36)

Summary

Possible, complex, bivallate, inland promontory fort located on NE-SW ridge above confluence of Afon Gwydderig and Afon Bran to SW and near confluence with Afon Tywi also on SW. Very steep to precipitous wooded slopes on W, very steep on E sides (wooded on NE and E), moderate to strong on SW and moderate along ridge to NE. Site visible from the air, but only just extant on site. Aerial photographs show outer curving ditch cutting off promontory on NE, with triangular interior to SW of this, enclosed area not determined. Within this internal area is small sub-circular enclosure appearing linked to outer defences by short length of ditch on N. On site outer ditch is clear and defining N edge of the enclosure; best at SE end where rock-cut and c. 2.75m wide. Inner bank to this ditch visible and and traces of outer bank at E end. The outer ditch is cut by N-S ditch, or entranceway, which links the inner and outer enclosures. Sheep track along this. Inner enclosure less distinct, although visible as a ditch with banks either side on W side. In 2008 DAT found further earthwork downslope to S of the promontory fort, which may be an annexe. Site almost destroyed and under improved pasture. Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Unconfirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Unconfirmed

Location

X:  -419678  Y:  6800955  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.7700343597453663  Latitude:  52.00458535192019  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Carmarthenshire

Historic County:  Carmarthenshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llandovery

Monument Condition

Much denuded and banks deliberately flattened. Visible as cropmark and just survives as earthwork.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✓
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

Improved pasture. Wooded to E and W.

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

Possible, bivallate, inland promontory fort located on NE-SW ridge above confluence of Afon Gwydderig and Afon Bran to SW and near confluence with Afon Tywi also on SW. Very steep to precipitous wooded slopes on W, very steep on E sides (wooded on NE and E), moderate to strong on SW and moderate along ridge to NE.

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

Field Observation DAT 2003, 2008. Dyfed Archaeological Trust defended enclosures survey 2007-2008.

Investigations:
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

The outer ditch is cut by N-S ditch, or entrance way, which links the inner and outer enclosures. Sheep track along this route.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Other Forms (North east):   None

Enclosing Works

On site outer ditch clear and defining N edge of the enclosure; best at SE end where rock-cut and c. 2.75m wide. Inner bank to this ditch visible and and traces of outer bank at E end.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   Noneha.
Total:   Noneha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Area not defined.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   Complex and ramparts estimated.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   2
SE Quadrant:   0
SW Quadrant:   0
NW Quadrant:   0
Total:   2

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:
✓   At least two.

Number of Ditches:  2

Annex:
✓   In 2008 DAT found further earthwork downslope to S of the promontory fort, which may be an annexe.

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 SN72, SN73, SN74, SN83 and SN84, 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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