Caer Idris Hillfort

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.

A small inland promontory fort which is protected on three sides by stone banks and on the fourth by a natural limestone scarp. The banks were originally semi-circular and terminated at the cliff edge, but a road now runs along the edge, destroying the ends of the banks. The SW and NE parts of the outer banks have also been destroyed where they cross modern field boundaries into a cultivated field on one side and a house and garden on the other.

The fort remains lie within a wooded area with much undergrowth which obscures large parts of the site. The entrance is towards the centre of the semi-circle and gaps in the banks are staggered; these gaps are just over 6 m across. There are remains of four ramparts NE of the entrance and three SW of it. These banks or ramparts vary from 0.25 m high to 1.5 m high, the inner banks being larger than the outer banks. The third outer bank on the NE side contains three upright stones set in the bank near the entrance; they stand about 1 m high.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of Prehistoric settlement and defence. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. The structures themselves may be expected to contain archaeological information concerning chronology and building techniques.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.