Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA2275 Cefnbenydd, Carmarthenshire

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Dyfed 63182 (None)

NMR:  SN 73 SW (404679)

SM:  None

NGR:  SN71663263

X:  271660  Y:  232630  (OSGB36)

Summary

Univallate contour hillfort, only discovered by RCAHMW's cropmark aerial reconnaissance 2006. Sited on rocky knoll on NE-SW ridge above the confluence of the Afon Dulais and Afon Tywi to S. Steep slopes to stream confluence with the Afon Dulais to W and steep cwm and stream headwaters flowing into the Afon Dulais to S. Moderate slopes along ridge to NE and moderate to strong, then steep, to Afon Tywi on E. Measures c. 114m NE-SW by 70m, with internal area c. 0.77ha. Site almost destroyed and mostly only a cropmark which shows outline of enclosure and possible partial survival inner rampart and other ditch lines that may represent an annexe or internal divisions. On site visit by DAT in 2008 found seemingly complex arrangement of ditches as shallow curvilinear features to 0.3m deep. Some possible banks, but barely discernible, as well as interior undulations of uncertain origin. Possible entrance downslope on E side. Under pasture. Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -430807  Y:  6796010  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.8700077383576463  Latitude:  51.97723309586285  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Carmarthenshire

Historic County:  Carmarthenshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llanwrda

Monument Condition

Site almost gone and mostly cropmark.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✓
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

Under pasture but rarely ploughed. Isolated tree to N.

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

Univallate contour hillfort, only discovered by RCAHMW aerial reconnaissance 2006. Sited on rocky knoll on NE-SW ridge above the confluence of the Afon Dulais and Afon Tywi to S. Steep slopes to stream confluence with the Afon Dulais to W and steep cwm and stream headwaters flowing into the Afon Dulais to S. Moderate slopes along ridge to NE and moderate to strong, then steep, to Afon Tywi on 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:  Hill top

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

Altitude:  180.0m

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

Aerial reconnaissance RCAHMW 2006. Field observation DAT 2008. Dyfed Archaeological Trust defended enclosures survey 2007-2008.

Investigations:
Other (2006):   Aerial reconnaissance RCAHMW.
Other (2008):   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

Possible entrance downslope on E side.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (East):   Type estimated as default.

Enclosing Works

Site almost destroyed and mostly only a cropmark which shows cropmark shows outline of enclosure and possible partial survival inner rampart and other ditch lines that may represent an annexe or internal divisions. On site visit by DAT in 2008 found seemingly complex arrangement of ditches as shallow curvilinear features to 0.3m deep. Some possible banks, but barely discernible.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.77ha.
Total:   0.77ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   Suggested by ditch

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:
✓   Possible ditch.

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✓   Possible annexe suggested by RCAHMW in 2006, but no details.

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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