Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA2307 Castell Bach, Cwm Tydi, Cardiganshire (Castell-Bach)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Dyfed 1355 (None)

NMR:  SN 35 NE (93914)

SM:  CD068

NGR:  SN36045809

X:  236040  Y:  258090  (OSGB36)

Summary

Isolated bivallate coastal promontory fort sited on NW-facing coastal headland plateau near a small bay to SW and near to where the Afon Fynnon Ddewi meets the sea to NE. Sea cliffs to N and W, steep slopes to E and S. Most northerly of coastal promontory forts in Ceredigion. Rampart circuit now possibly only a quarter of what could have been a circle in prehistory and interior of the fort now very small as a result of substantial sea erosion. Two curving banks, c. 2m in height, with ditches, c. 90m long, cross the easily approachable E side, enclosing c. 0.3ha. Second slighter bank with stone revetment sited c. 107m to E, extending from a natural scarp to the sea cliffs and perhaps forming a concentric annexe. Total internal area c. 1.12ha. Survey by K. Ray (undated) suggested that inner enclosure originally had a single bank and ditch, and that the second was added at the same time as the slighter outer bank to E. Many circular features visible within outer enclosure, two plus c. 7.5-10m across, and possibly stone-founded circular structures, or roundhouses. Coastal grassland. On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -489854  Y:  6835745  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.40043276527097  Latitude:  52.19656544186951  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Ceredigion

Historic County:  Cardiganshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llandyssiliogogo

Monument Condition

Defences now possibly only a quarter of what could have been a circle in prehistory and interior of the fort now very small as a result of substantial sea erosion.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

Under pasture.

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

Isolated bivallate coastal promontory fort sited on NW-facing coastal headland plateau near a small bay to SW and near to where the Afon Fynnon Ddewi meets the sea to NE. Sea cliffs to N and W, steep slopes to E and S.

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:  Coastal headland.

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

Altitude:  20.0m

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

On 1st Ed. OS map (1889). Survey by K. Ray - undated. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1889):   OS map.
Other (1988):   Visited by Hillfort Study Group
Other (2006):   Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006.
Earthwork Survey (None):   Survey by K. Ray - no details.

Interior Features

Many circular features visible within outer enclosure, two plus c. 7.5-10m across, and possibly stone-founded circular structures, or roundhouses.

Water Source

None

Source:
None   ✓
Spring   ✗
Stream   ✗
Pool   ✗
Flush   ✗
Well   ✗
Other   ✗

Surface

Many circular features visible within outer enclosure, two plus c. 7.5-10m across, and possibly stone-founded circular structures, or roundhouses.

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

None visible.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
0:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:No related records

Enclosing Works

Two curving banks, c. 2m in height, with ditches, c. 90m long, cross the easily approachable E side, enclosing c. 0.3ha.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.3ha.
Area 2:   1.12ha.
Total:   1.12ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   2
SE Quadrant:   2
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:
✓   None

Number of Ditches:  2

Annex:
✓   Second slighter bank with stone revetment sited c. 107m to E, extending from a natural scarp to the sea cliffs and perhaps forming a concentric annexe.

References

Hogg, A.H.A. 1962. List of hill-forts in Cardiganshire, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 19, 364.

Murphy, K, Ramsey, R. and Page, M. 2006. A survey of defended enclosures in Ceredigion 2006: Gazetteer of Ordnance Survey Grid Square SN35, Project Report No. 2006/20, Project Record No. 54269, Llandeilo: Cambria Archaeology.

Rees, S. 1992. A guide to ancient and historic Wales - Dyfed, London: HMSO, 87-8.



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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