Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA2336 Lletty-Evan-Hen, Cardiganshire (Pen-y-Castell; Pen y Castell; Hen Gaer)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Dyfed 2024 (None)

NMR:  SN 68 SE (303595)

SM:  CD069

NGR:  SN68958480

X:  268950  Y:  284800  (OSGB36)

Summary

Small, univallate, partial contour hillfort located on spur at the headwaters of the Afon Stewi. N, S, W moderate to strong surrounding slopes, moderate on E where falls to saddle before rising again to Cambrian Mountains. Oval in shape, measuring c. 100m by 50m, with internal area 0.33ha. Defined by strong bank and ditch with slight counterscarp, c. 12m wide overall, with bank to 3m high, especially each side of simple gap entrance on NE, but generally weak. Traces of walling visible on rampart in places. Circuit also not complete, and cannot be traced for 40m on S side. This has resulted in Hogg (1962) suggesting site unfinished. Six house platforms noted by the Ceredigion Archaeological Survey in 1994, one clearly visible on aerial photographs. Under improved pasture. On 1st Ed. OS map 1887. Minimal investigations, unfinished.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -437447  Y:  6881059  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -3.929652237741229  Latitude:  52.44537402075968  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Ceredigion

Historic County:  Cardiganshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Ceulanamaesmawr

Monument Condition

Ploughed in interior. Sheep scrapes on banks. Fair condition with strong bank and ditch.

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Improved 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

Small, univallate, partial contour hillfort located on spur at the headwaters of the Afon Stewi. N, S, W Moderate to strong surrounding slopes to N, S and W, moderate on E where falls to saddle before rising again to Cambrian Mountains.

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:  Spur

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  260.0m

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 1887. Ceredigion Archaeological Survey 1994. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1887):   OS map.
Other (1994):   Ceredigion Archaeological Survey 1994.
Other (2006):   Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey.

Interior Features

Six house platforms noted by the Ceredigion Archaeological Survey in 1994, one clearly visible on aerial photographs.

Water Source

Afon Stewi 0.15 km outside fort.

Source:
None  
Spring  
Stream  
Pool  
Flush  
Well  
Other  

Surface

Six house platforms noted by the Ceredigion Archaeological Survey in 1994.

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

Six house platforms noted by the Ceredigion Archaeological Survey in 1994, one clearly visible on aerial photographs.

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

Entrances

Simple gap entrance on NE.

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

Defined by strong bank and ditch with slight counterscarp, c. 12m wide overall, with bank to 3m high, especially each side of simple gap entrance on NE, but generally weak. Traces of walling visible on rampart in places. Circuit also not complete, and cannot be traced for 40m on S side. This has resulted in Hogg (1962) suggesting site unfinished.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.33ha.
Total:   0.33ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   Circuit also not complete, and cannot be traced for 40m on S side. This has resulted in Hogg (1962) suggesting site unfinished.

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

Traces of walling visible on rampart in places. Slight counterscarp. Circuit also not complete, and cannot be traced for 40m on S side. This has resulted in Hogg (1962) suggesting site unfinished.

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:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

Hogg, A.H.A. 1962. List of hill-forts in Cardiganshire, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 19, 360.

Hughes, I.T. 1926. A regional survey of the prehistoric earthworks of North Cardiganshire, Trans Cardiganshire Ant Soc, 4 (1926), 22-56.

Murphy, K, Ramsey, R. and Page, M. 2006. A survey of defended enclosures in Ceredigion 2006: Gazetteer of Ordnance Survey Grid Squares SN68 and SN69, Project Report No. 2006/20, Project Record No. 54269, Llandeilo: Cambria Archaeology.



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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