LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Dyfed 756 (None)
NMR: SN 56 NW 1 (300768)
SM: None
NGR: SN53886887
X: 253880 Y: 268870 (OSGB36)
Small, possibly bivallate, contour hillfort located on flat summit of hillock on NW-facing slopes overlooking the coastal plain and Afon Wrye. Near to Castell Mawr (Atlas No. 2280) 0.3km to S. N and W surrounding slopes a steep drop, the other sides steep before levelling off and then rising on S, from which site overlooked. Exceptionally commanding site. Measures c. 90m by 40m, with internal area 0.27ha. Natural slopes on steep NW side, although possible that slope artificially strengthened. Plough-reduced low rampart on W, but substantial rampart with outer ditch below elsewhere. Beyond a second ditch defends shallower saddle of ground on E and S. Both ditches only recognised from 1995 aerial photography in parch-mark conditions (RCAHMW neg. ref. 955142-55). Whether a second rampart stood between the two ditches not proven, although likely, and in that case the fort bivallate. However, parch-marks show possible traces of palisade trench on outside lip of inner ditch, at the foot of main rampart. Best preserved banks on S tip of site. Main single rampart walled with dry-stone, with well-preserved stretches visible. Possible entrance where oblique track enters the fort on E, where parch-marks show N rampart out-turning to form the entrance trackway. Improved pasture interior much reduced by ploughing, but shallow hollow visible in NE part marked by nettles, possibly house platform. Lane between Castell Mawr hillfort to S and Castell Bach, called 'the lane of the wounded' or 'the dell of slaughter', said to relate to a battle between the two forts. Under improved pasture. On 1st Ed. OS map (1888). Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -461339 Y: 6854267 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -4.14428022363786 Latitude: 52.29843496010089 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Ceredigion
Historic County: Cardiganshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Llanrhystyd Haminiog
Much ploughed interior.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Improved pasture.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Small contour hillfort located on flat summit of hillock on NW-facing slopes overlooking the coastal plain and Afon Wrye. Near to Castell Mawr 0.3km S. N and W surrounding slopes a steep drop, the other sides steep before levelling off and then rising on S, from which site overlooked. Exceptionally commanding site.
| 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: Hillock
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 100.0m
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 |
On 1st Ed. OS map (1888). Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1888): | OS map. |
| Other (2006): | Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey. |
Probable chance find of spindle whorl on E slopes of site.
Stream 0.2km 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 | ✗ |
None
| 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 | ✗ |
Probable chance find of spindle whorl on E slopes of site.
| No Known Finds | ✗ |
| Pottery | ✗ |
| Metal | ✗ |
| Metalworking | ✗ |
| Human Bones | ✗ |
| Animal Bones | ✗ |
| Lithics | ✗ |
| Environmental | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
None
| APs Not Checked | ✓ |
| None | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Possible entrance where oblique track enters the fort on E, where parch-marks show N rampart out-turning to form the entrance trackway.
| 1: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Out-turned (East): | None |
| 1. Oblique (East): | Oblique track enters the fort on E. |
Plough-reduced low rampart on W, but substantial rampart with outer ditch below elsewhere. Beyond a second ditch defends shallower saddle of ground on E and S. Both ditches only recognised from 1995 aerial photography in parch-mark conditions (RCAHMW neg. ref. 955142-55). Whether a second rampart stood between the two ditches not proven, although likely, and in that case the fort bivallate. However, parch marks show possible traces of palisade trench on outside lip of inner ditch, at the foot of main rampart. Best preserved banks on S tip of site. Main single rampart walled with dry-stone, with well-preserved stretches visible.
| Area 1: | 0.27ha. |
| Total: | 0.27ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✗ | Site possibly bivallate, but not visible. |
| NE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SW Quadrant: | 1 |
| NW Quadrant: | 0 |
| Total: | 1 |
| Partial Univallate | ✓ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
Main single rampart walled with dry-stone, with well-preserved stretches visible. Parch-marks show possible traces of palisade trench on outside lip of inner ditch, at the foot of main rampart.
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✗ |
| Stone Wall | ✓ |
| Rubble | ✗ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✓ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| 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 |
| ✓ | None |
Number of Ditches: 2
| ✗ | None |
Hogg, A.H.A. 1962. List of hill-forts in Cardiganshire, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 19, 361.
Murphy, K, Ramsey, R. and Page, M. 2006. A survey of defended enclosures in Ceredigion 2006: Gazetteer of Ordnance Survey Grid Squares SN56, SN57, and SN58, Project Report No. 2006/20, Project Record No. 54269, Llandeilo: Cambria Archaeology.
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
Document Version 1.1