LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Glamorgan Gwent 00142w (None)
NMR: SS 48 NW (301326)
SM: GM128
NGR: SS 4317 8635
X: 243173 Y: 186359 (OSGB36)
Bivallate coastal promontory fort located on blunt headland 2.5m SE of Rhossili, Gower. Surrounding slopes sheer sea cliffs to 60m high on S, slightly less on SE and SW. Landward to NE and NW moderate. Ramparts now form two semi-circular arcs enclosing c. 0.3ha above the sea cliffs, with an inner defended area of c. 0.1ha, probably result of the severe erosion of the cliffs, and the site was probably circular in prehistory. The site was excavated in part by Audrey Williams in 1938 (1939), one of several coastal promontory forts she investigated in the area at this time. She found the outer landward defence comprised bank 3m-4m wide (now to 1m external height), with an inner kerb of boulders. An outside ditch was found to be V-shaped and 3.7m-4.3m wide and 1.4m deep. The entrance, towards W end of bank's arc (in NW quadrant), was a 3m wide roadway between blunt ends of the rampart with old lime kiln on E terminal. Line of three postholes across indicated a pair of gates with central upright. Inner line of defence 14m to 20m inside outer, and for two-thirds to E, 5.5m-7.5m wide, to near 3m external height. Where excavated by Williams 4.9m wide, revetted and composed of at least two courses of limestone blocks, with ditch 4.3m wide and 1.1m deep with shallow sloping sides and slight counterscarp. To W end bank narrowed to 3.7m width with outer revetment and no ditch. An entrance in the NW quadrant was obliquely approached and slightly inturned. No postholes were found. Occupation layer found in interior, with hearth and possible round hut 3.7m diameter (with posthole) in S near cliff edge. Finds included slingstones, pot-boilers, hammer stones, mace, daub and Iron Age sherds. On 1st Ed. OS map (1879).
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -474616 Y: 6719920 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -4.263549253754579 Latitude: 51.55421415608666 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Wales
Current County or Unitary Authority: Swansea
Historic County: Glamorgan
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Rhossili
Extensive coastal erosion and perhaps half of site lost to sea.
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✓ |
Coastal grassland, scrub and bare rock.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✗ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✓ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✓ |
| Other | ✗ |
Bivallate coastal promontory fort located on blunt headland 2.5m SE of Rhossili, Gower. Surrounding slopes sheer sea cliffs to 60m high on S, slightly less on SE and SW.
| 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: Coastal headland
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✓ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 60.0m
N/A
Excavated ceramic assemblage 50BC to AD 50.
Reliability: B - Medium
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✓ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
| Artefactual: | Iron Age pottery. |
On 1st Ed. OS map (1879). Excavation by Audrey Williams 1938. RCAHMW investigation 1965. GGAT Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan survey 2005. Topographic and geophysical surveys (Hart 2014)
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1879): | OS map. |
| Excavation (1938): | Audrey Williams. |
| Other (1965): | RCAHMW investigation. |
| Other (1986): | Visited by Hillfort Study Group |
| Other (2005): | GGAT Prehistoric defended enclosures in Glamorgan survey 2005. |
| Earthwork Survey (2014): | None |
| Geophysical Survey (2014): | None |
Occupation layer found in interior, with hearth and possible round hut 3.7m diameter (with posthole) in S near cliff edge. Slingstones, pot-boilers, hammer stones, stone mace, daub and Iron Age sherds.
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 | ✗ |
Occupation layer found in interior, with hearth and possible round hut 3.7m diameter (with post hole) in S near cliff edge.
| 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 | ✗ |
Slingstones, pot-boilers, hammer stones, stone mace, daub and Iron Age sherds.
| 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 on outer line towards W end of bank's arc (in NW quadrant), was a 3m wide roadway between blunt ends of the rampart with old lime kiln on E terminal. Line of three post holes across indicated a pair of gates with central upright. On inner line entrance in the NW quadrant was obliquely approached and with slightly inturned.
| 2: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (North west): | Outer entrance. |
| 2. In-turned (North west): | Inner entrance slightly inturned and obliquely approached. |
| 2. Oblique (North west): | Obliquely approached. |
Ramparts now form two semi-circular arcs enclosing c. 0.3ha above the sea cliffs, with an inner defended area of c. 0.1ha, probably result of the severe erosion of the cliffs, and the site was probably circular in prehistory. The site was excavated in part by Audrey Williams in 1938 (1939), one of several coastal promontory forts she investigated in the area at this time. She found the outer landward defence comprised bank 3-4m wide (now to 1m external height), with an inner kerb of boulders. An outside ditch was found to be V-shaped and 3.7-4.3m wide and 1.4m deep. The entrance, towards W end of bank's arc (in NW quadrant), was a 3m wide roadway between blunt ends of the rampart with old lime kiln on E terminal. Line of three postholes across indicated a pair of gates with central upright. Inner line of defence 14m to 20m inside outer, and for two-thirds to E, 5.5-7.5m wide, to near 3m external height. Where excavated by Williams 4.9m wide, revetted and composed of at least two courses of limestone blocks, with ditch 4.3m wide and 1.1m deep with shallow sloping sides and slight counterscarp. To W end bank narrowed to 3.7m width with outer revetment and no ditch. An
| Area 1: | 0.3ha. |
| Total: | 0.3ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✗ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SW Quadrant: | 0 |
| NW Quadrant: | 2 |
| Total: | 2 |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✓ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
Slight counterscarp.
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✓ |
| Rubble | ✓ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✓ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Excavation Audrey Williams in 1938 (1939), o found the outer landward defence comprised bank 3m-4m wide (now to 1m external height), with an inner kerb of boulders. An outside ditch was found to be V-shaped and 3.7m-4.3m wide and 1.4m deep. The entrance, towards W end of bank's arc (in NW quadrant), was a 3m wide roadway between blunt ends of the rampart with old lime kiln on E terminal. Line of three postholes across indicated a pair of gates with central upright. Inner line of defence 14m to 20m inside outer, and for two-thirds to E, 5.5m-7.5m wide, to near 3m external height. Where excavated by Williams 4.9m wide, revetted and composed of at least two courses of limestone blocks, with ditch 4.3m wide and 1.1m deep with shallow sloping sides and slight counterscarp. To W end bank narrowed to 3.7m width with outer revetment and no ditch. An entrance in the NW quadrant was obliquely approached and slightly inturned. No postholes were found.
| 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.
Hart, R. 2014. GOWER, Paviland and the Knave promontory forts SS 43182 86375 & SS 43709 85955. Archaeoleg yng Nghymru. Archaeol Wales , 54, 176-77.
RCAHMW 1976. An inventory of the ancient monuments in Glamorgan, Vol I: Pre-Norman, Part II The Iron Age and the Roman occupation, No. 699, Cardiff: HMSO.
Savory, H.N. 1949. List of hill-forts in Wales, Bull Board Celtic Stud, 13.
Williams, A. 1939. Excavations at The Knave promontory fort, Rhossili, Glamorgan, Arch Camb, 94, 210-19.
Whittle, E. 1992. A guide to ancient and historic Wales, Glamorgan and Gwent, London: HMSO, 51-2.
Atlas of Hillforts:
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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