Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

WA2408 Blackfield Wood Camp, Monmouthshire (Porthcaseg Camp)

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Glamorgan Gwent 00748g (None)

NMR:  ST 59 NW (None)

SM:  MM027

NGR:  ST52909899

X:  352900  Y:  198990  (OSGB36)

Summary

Triangular shaped inland promontory fort located on wooded cliff top spur overlooking the River Wye to E, and valley of Porthcaseg to W. Measures c. 90m by 50m with internal area of 0.46ha. Single dry-stone bank to 1.5m with ditch on S and SW, with steep natural slopes elsewhere. The original entrance possibly simple turn in the defences to SW. Roughly circular area of dark earth contrasting the redder natural soil, and containing large inclusions of charcoal (Eden 2000). Wooded and in poor condition and Wye Valley Walk passes through site. On 1st Ed. OS map (1881). Minimal investigations, undated.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -298644  Y:  6743842  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -2.682763974860404  Latitude:  51.68763504202864  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Wales

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Monmouth

Historic County:  Monmouthshire

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Tintern

Monument Condition

The earthwork is in poor condition. Wye Valley Walk passes through site from a forced entrance at the SE edge adjacent to the cliff, to N tip where it scrambles downwards towards Tintern.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Dense woodland and scrub.

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

Promontory fort located on a wooded cliff-topspur promontory overlooking the River Wye to the E, and the valley of Porthcaseg 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:  Spur

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

Altitude:  186.9m

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 (1881). GGAT Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan survey 2005.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1881):   OS map.
Other (2005):   GGAT Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan survey.

Interior Features

Roughly circular area of dark earth contrasting the redder natural soils. This area of dark earth contains large inclusions of charcoal

Water Source

None

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

Surface

Roughly circular area of dark earth contrasting the redder natural soils. This area of dark earth contains large inclusions of charcoal .

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

The original entrance possibly simple turn in the defences to SW. Wye Valley Walk passes through site from a forced entrance at the SE edge adjacent to the cliff to N tip where it scrambles downwards towards Tintern.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
2:   Forced modern entrance on SE.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (South west):   None

Enclosing Works

Single dry-stone bank to 1.5m with ditch on S and SW, with steep natural slopes elsewhere.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.46ha.
Total:   0.46ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   0
SE Quadrant:   1
SW Quadrant:   1
NW Quadrant:   0
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

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

Dry-stone wall.

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

Eden 2000. Results of a Soil Survey of an Enclosure in Blackcliff Wood, Tintern, Monmouthshire, Unpublished thesis, Bristol University.

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.



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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