Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA2377 Caer Llifry, Cardiganshire (Pen-y-Gaer, Bank Green Grove; Caer-Lifry)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

Scroll left/right to view further images.

HER:  Dyfed 5885 (None)

NMR:  SN 55 NW (303878)

SM:  CD272

NGR:  SN51605651

X:  251600  Y:  256510  (OSGB36)

Summary

Contour hillfort located on summit of NE-SE ridge above the Afon Aeron to NE and its tributary Nant y Gaer stream to S. Steep or very steep slopes to N, E and S, moderate to W. Measures c. 120m NE-SW by 40m-54m, with internal area 1.3ha. Sides ploughed down on N and S and now sharp breaks of slope above the steep slopes. Better preserved at each end. W best with a bank of spread stone (shattered shale), 6m wide and to 0.5m high, with slight traces of external ditch. E end almost gone and now a wide shattered shale spread. However, ditch, better preserved to 6m wide and to 0.5m deep. Annexe on E defined by bank 45m E from the E bank of enclosure. Annexe not levelled and built along a slight natural break of slope and is up to 2m high externally, with traces of an external ditch. Original E entrance. Rough improved pasture. Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -464454  Y:  6833969  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.1722589673224215  Latitude:  52.186780869123126  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Ceredigion

Historic County:  Cardiganshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Llanfihangel Ystrad

Monument Condition

Sides plough down in 1990's, but better preserved at each end. Annexe not levelled.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Rough 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

Strong, contour hillfort located on summit of NE-SE ridge above the Afon Aeron to NE and its tributary Nant y Gaer stream to S. Steep or very steep slopes to N, E and S, moderate to 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:  Hill top

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

Altitude:  220.0m

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

Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey 2006.

Investigations:
Other (2006):   Cambria Archaeology defended enclosures survey.

Interior Features

Ridged, interior, with two platforms towards E end of S side, possible hut platforms.

Water Source

Stream 0.2 km outside fort.

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

Surface

Two platforms towards E end of S side, possible hut platforms.

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

Possibly original E entrance.

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):   None

Enclosing Works

Sides ploughed down on N and S and now sharp breaks of slope above the steep slopes. Better preserved at each end. W best and defended by a bank of spread stone (shattered shale), 6m wide and to 0.5m high, with slight traces of external ditch. E end almost destroyed and now a wide shattered shale spread. However, ditch, however, better preserved to 6m wide and to 0.5m deep.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   1.3ha.
Total:   1.3ha.

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

Probable shale banks.

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:
✓   Traces of ditch to W, better on E.

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✓   Annexe, c. 40m deep, on E defined by bank 45m E from the E bank of enclosure. Annexe not levelled and built along a slight natural break of slope and is up to 2m high externally, with traces of an external ditch. Original W entrance.

References

Hogg, A.H.A. 1962. List of hill-forts in Cardiganshire, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 19, 362

Murphy, K, Ramsey, R. and Page, M. 2006. A survey of defended enclosures in Ceredigion 2006: Gazetteer of Ordnance Survey Grid Squares SN54 and SN55, 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


Document Version 1.1