LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
Scroll left/right to view further images.
HER: Glamorgan Gwent 00831m (None)
NMR: SO 00 NE (93014)
SM: GM028
NGR: SO05000950
X: 305000 Y: 209500 (OSGB36)
High and isolated contour hillfort located on NW-SE aligned limestone ridge overlooking Taff Fechan above its confluence with the Afon Taf Fawr. On a possible route to N and Brecon Beacons ridge. Later substantial remnants of Gilbert de Clare castle of c. 1290 on the site. Surrounding slopes very steep to N and precipitous to S, E and W, now with internal area of c. 0.8ha, but originally probably c.1.6ha. Remnants of the hillfort extend outside the castle ditch. Now forms rectangular enclosure c. 70m wide NE-SW with extension c. 25m wide for further 45m to SE; both cut by quarry on SW. Main enclosure limestone rubble bank. At E corner modern gap. Along SE side width of bank decreases and separated in front by berm from a scarp, beyond which traces of ditch, but only visible for c. 10m. Outer height of rampart c. 5m. Bank forming the extension very slight, especially on NE. Just W of the angle gap c. 3m wide, probably original. Banks of the main enclosure and of the extension both turn slightly northwards, suggesting that little destroyed along this side. Rough grass, scrub and bare rock. On 1st Ed. OS map (1875-87). Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -376081 Y: 6759731 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -3.3783957671743647 Latitude: 51.77603681715483 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Merthyr Tydfil
Historic County: Glamorgan
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Pant
Later remnants of Gilbert de Clare castle of c. 1290 on the site (see Whittle 1992, 141-42). Public access and much affected by medieval castle and disused quarry to W.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✓ |
Rough grass, scrub and bare rock with castle ruins. Quarry.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✗ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✓ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✓ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
High and isolated contour hillfort located on NW-SE aligned limestone ridge overlooking Taff Fechan above its confluence with the Afon Taf Fawr. On a possible route to the north and Brecon Beacons ridge. Surrounding slopes very steep to N and precipitous to S, E and W.
| 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: Hill top
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 380.0m
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 (1875-87). RCAHMW investigation 1965. GGAT Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan survey 2005.
| Other (1965): | RCAHMW investigation. |
| Other (2005): | GGAT Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan survey. |
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (None): | OS map. |
None
Taf Fechan 0.35 km 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 | ✗ |
Two modern gaps. Possible original entrance on SW with gap 3m wide.
| 3: | Two modern gaps. |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (South west): | Possible entrance. |
Now forms rectangular enclosure c.70m wide NE-SW with extension c. 25m wide for further 45m to SE; both cut by quarry on SW. Main enclosure limestone rubble bank. Along SE side width of bank decreases and separated in front by berm from a scarp, beyond which traces of ditch, but only visible for c.10m. Outer height of rampart c. 5m .Bank forming the extension very slight, especially on NE. Banks of the main enclosure and of the extension both turn slightly northwards, suggesting that little destroyed along this side.
| Area 1: | 0.8ha. |
| Total: | 0.8ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 1 |
| 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 | ✗ |
Limestone rubble bak.
| 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 |
| ✓ | None |
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. 611, Cardiff: HMSO.
Whittle E. 1992. A guide to ancient and historic Wales - Glamorgan and Gwent, London: HMSO, 141-42.
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