Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA2352 Hen Gaer, Bow Street, Cardiganshire (Pen Gaer, Bow Street; Broncastellan; Caer Shon)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Dyfed 2015 (None)

NMR:  SN 68 SW 1 (92249)

SM:  CD026

NGR:  SN63308440

X:  263300  Y:  284400  (OSGB36)

Summary

Commanding, univallate, contour hillfort located on a spur overlooking the Afon Clarach at its confluence with the Afon Stewi and that of Nant Silo with the Afon Clarach and with extensive views to as far as Dyfi Estuary. On possible route to the Afon Rheidol. Moderate to strong surrounding slopes to N and E, steep to S and W. Internal area 1.2ha. Massive construction of carefully laid stone blocks of rampart walling, still exposed in places, to 3-4m high and 12m wide, with outer rock-cut ditch, best on NE. Original main entrance on W side, with possibly original circular mound outside. Small excavation in 1967 to look at the E and inner side of bank by Archaeological Section of the Cardiganshire Antiquarian Society (no details nor report). Improved pasture interior, wooded surrounds. On 1st Ed. OS map (1888). Undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -446677  Y:  6880150  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.012565498790367  Latitude:  52.440395061091685  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Ceredigion

Historic County:  Cardiganshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Tirymynach

Monument Condition

Good condition.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Improved pasture interior with trees on surrounds.

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

Commanding, univallate, contour hillfort located on a spur overlooking the Afon Clarach at its confluence with the Afon Stewi and that of Nant Silo with the Afon Clarach and with extensive views to as far as Dyfi Estuary. On possible route to the Afon Rheidol. Moderate to strong surrounding slopes to N and E, steep to S and W.

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:  162.0m

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 (1888). Small excavation by Archaeological Section of the Cardiganshire Antiquarian Society 1967. Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1888):   OS map.
Excavation (1967):   Archaeological Section of the Cardiganshire Antiquarian Society
Other (2006):   Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey.

Interior Features

None

Water Source

Afon Clarach 0.6 km outside fort.

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

NO APPARENT FEATURES

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

Entrances

Original main entrance on W side, with possibly original circular mound outside.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Outworks (West):   None

Enclosing Works

Massive construction of carefully laid stone blocks of rampart walling, still exposed in places, to 3-4m high and 12m wide, with outer rock-cut ditch, best on NE

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   1.2ha.
Total:   1.2ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   None

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

Massive construction of carefully laid stone blocks of rampart walling, still exposed in places, to 3-4m high and 12m wide.

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:
✓   Rock-cut ditch, best on NE.

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

Davies, J. L. and Hogg, A. H. A. 1994. The Iron Age, in eds Davies, J.L. and Kirby, D.A.. Cardiganshire County History, Vol 1, From the earliest times to the coming of the Normans, Cardiff: University of Wales Press.

Hogg, A.H.A. 1962. List of hill-forts in Cardiganshire, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 19, 359.

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 SNX, 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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