Coed Cefn hillfort

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

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

The monument comprises the remains of a hillfort, which probably dates to the Iron Age period (c. 800 BC - AD 74, the Roman conquest of Wales). The site consists of a small sub-rectangular enclosure located on the summit of a small hill on the northern side of the Usk valley, 1km east of Crickhowell. The site lies within an area of ancient broadleaf woodland that is managed by the Woodland Trust. The enclosure is univallate, with a single bank and ditch surrounding a central area that measures 68m N/S by 51m E/W (0.29ha). The earth and stone bank is denuded around much of its circuit, measuring between 0.2m and 1m in height. On the NW corner of the enclosure the bank has been quarried away and on the SE corner it has been reduced to just a scarp following the line of the natural slope. A gap in the centre of the E bank is thought to be the original entrance, while a gap in the W bank is a modern breach. The slight remains of the ditch are visible in the SW corner and along the NE edge, surviving as a series of depressions around 0.5m deep. There are no visible features within the interior of the enclosure

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of later prehistoric defensive organisation and settlement. The site forms an important element within the wider later prehistoric context and within the surrounding landscape. The site is well preserved and retains considerable archaeological potential. There is a strong probability of the presence of evidence relating to chronology, building techniques and functional detail.

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