LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Glamorgan Gwent 01022g (None)
NMR: ST 49 SW 34 (307974)
SM: MM130
NGR: ST40989239
X: 340980 Y: 192390 (OSGB36)
Contour hillfort located at W end of rocky hill top in hills above bends of the River Usk to NW. Surrounding slopes steep to moderate to strong. Sub-rectangular in shape, measuring c. 70m E-W by 34m, with internal area c. 0.24ha. W half of N side natural slope for defence; towards E end bank and ditch begin abruptly, c. 2.5m-3m external height, 0.8m internal and ditch depth of 1.2m with counterscarp. This bank continues E side above steep slopes, ditch ending abruptly at SE corner. Large stones lie in ditch at N end. On S bank continues, with lower internal height to c. 0.5m, outside of which berm, 5m wide, becoming shallow ditch in places, with bank to 0.5m high. Steep scarp 2.5m high below this, after which ground levels out. On W side two scarps, upper to 2m high, lower to 0.7m high with wide berm between, after which land drops steeply. Outer scarp here becomes low bank towards S, with further steep scarp below, and at bottom farm track. In middle of this side short stretch of the outer ditch and bank, former 3m wide and 1.2m deep, the latter 1.2m high on both sides. Inturned entrance, 2.5m wide and 0.7m-1m deep in the middle of this S side. Stone-founded ruins 4m by 3m within of uncertain date. Heavily wooded. On 1st Ed. OS map (1882). Minimal investigations, undated.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -317713 Y: 6732992 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -2.8540640766135916 Latitude: 51.62716975018665 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Newport
Historic County: Monmouthshire
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Penhow
Farm track affects defences on S.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
Heavily wooded hill top.
| Woodland | ✓ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✗ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✓ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Oblong, contour hillfort located at the W end of a wooded hill top in hills above bends of the River Usk to NW. Moderate to strong surrounding slopes.
| 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: 160.0m
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 (1882). GGAT Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan survey 2005.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1882): | OS map. |
| Other (2005): | GGAT Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan survey. |
None
None
| 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 | ✗ |
Inturned entrance, 2.5m wide and 0.7m-1m deep in the middle of this S side.
| 1: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. In-turned (South): | None |
W half of N side natural slope for defence; towards E end bank and ditch begin abruptly, c.2.5-3m external height, 0.8m internal and ditch depth of 1.2m. This bank continues E side above steep slopes, ditch ending abruptly at SE corner. Large stones lie in ditch at N end. On S bank continues, with lower internal height to c. 0.5m, outside of which berm, 5m wide, becoming shallow ditch in places, with bank to 0.5m high. Steep scarp 2.5m high below this, after which ground levels out. On W side two scarps, upper to 2m high, lower to 0.7m high with wide berm between, after which land drops steeply. Outer scarp here becomes low bank towards S, with further steep scarp below, and at bottom farm track. In middle of this side short stretch of the outer ditch and bank, former 3m wide and 1.2m deep, the latter 1.2m high on both sides.
| Area 1: | 0.24ha. |
| Total: | 0.24ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✗ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 1 |
| SE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SW Quadrant: | 2 |
| NW Quadrant: | 1 |
| Total: | 2 |
| Partial Univallate | ✓ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✓ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
Probable earthen bank. Wide berms.
| 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: 2
| ✗ | 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.
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