LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Glamorgan Gwent 00627s (None)
NMR: ST 28 SW 20 (301309)
SM: GM066
NGR: ST20458403
X: 320450 Y: 184030 (OSGB36)
Multivallate partial contour hillfort located in a commanding position on summit of spur ridge 2km N of Lisvane and just outside, and affected by, the built-up area of Cardiff. Moderate surrounding slopes, with ridge of spur to NE and aspect to SSW. Trapezoidal in plan, measures 79m E-W, with internal area of c. 0.4ha. N and S sides follow crests of steeper slopes on either side of spur ridge. Defined by earthen inner bank and ditch, best on W where to 1.5m high and to 20m wide. Ditch no longer visible and probably buried feature on other sides and bank on N now scarp to c. 3m high. At E end traces of outer bank, but much cultivated and spread to c. 30m. This has been destroyed on N by plough and on S by road. Not visible on W, although outworks shown on 1875 OS map. Entrance near middle of E end; possible inturns, but uncertain and may be just erosion of banks. Under pasture, but cultivated in past except at W end. No internal features visible. Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -350512 Y: 6719073 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -3.148704075110452 Latitude: 51.549484278025815 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Cardiff
Historic County: Glamorgan
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Pontprennau
Much affected by cultivation and outer bank almost lost. Affected by, the built-up area of Cardiff. Setting affected by M4 to S.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✓ |
Improved pasture but once cultivated.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Multivallate partial contour hillfort located in a commanding position on summit of spur ridge 2km N of Lisvane and just outside, and affected by, the built-up area of Cardiff.
| 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: Spur
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✓ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 99.0m
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 (1875). RCAHMW investigation 1967. GGAT Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan survey 2005.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1875): | OS map. |
| Other (1967): | RCAHMW investigation. |
| Other (2005): | GGAT survey. |
None
Stream 0.3km 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 | ✗ |
None
| 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 | ✗ |
Entrance through both banks near middle of E end; possible inturns, but may be just erosion of banks. Modern track through W gap and through destroyed bank on S. Status at W end uncertain.
| 3: | Modern track through W gap and through destroyed bank on S. |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. In-turned (East): | Possible inturns, but may be just erosion of banks. |
Defined by earthen inner bank and ditch, best on W where to 1.5m high and to 20m wide. Ditch no longer visible and probably buried feature on other sides and bank on N now scarp to c. 3m high. At E end traces of outer bank, but much cultivated and spread to c. 30m. This has been destroyed on N by plough and on S by road. Not visible on W now. No outer ditch visible.
| Area 1: | 0.4ha. |
| Total: | 0.4ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | Inner bank only in each quadrant, and scarp feature on N side. Probably two circuits with ditches in prehistory. |
| NE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SW Quadrant: | 1 |
| NW Quadrant: | 1 |
| Total: | 2 |
| Partial Univallate | ✓ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✓ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
Inner earthen bank with no revetment seen.
| 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 |
| ✓ | Inner rampart outer ditch on W, no longer visible and probably buried feature on other sides. No ditch where traces of outer circuit and also possibly buried feature now. |
Number of Ditches: 1
| ✗ | None |
Gerrard, C., Wiggins, H., and Evans, E. 2006. Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan with recommendations for fieldwork: Year 3 Report, GGAT Report No. 2006/089, Project No. GGAT78, Swansea: GGAT.
RCAHMW 1976. An inventory of the ancient monuments in Glamorgan, Vol I: Pre-Norman, Part II The Iron Age and the Roman occupation, No. 685, Cardiff: HMSO.
Savory, H.N. 1949. List of hill-forts and other earthworks in Wales, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 13, 155.
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