Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Pen-y-Gaer Defended Enclosure
Nantcwnlle, Ceredigion, Wales
A scheduled monument in Nantcwnlle, Ceredigion, recorded as Promontory Fort - inland (Prehistoric).
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Promontory Fort - inland
- Period
- Prehistoric
- Date of designation
- 14 January 2008
- Community
- Nantcwnlle
- Unitary authority
- Ceredigion
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 52.20479, -4.08313
- SAM number
- CD261
- Cadw record number
- 1250
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1608 map "(13) Cambriae Typus." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1608 · (13) Cambriae Typus. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1830 · V.3:11-15:XV. Britisches Reich. A. Kon: England. b. Frstenthum Wales: Shire: 37-40 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1899 · 195 Lampeter (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1901 · Sheet 14. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1919 · Sheet 78. Lampeter. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
Cadw's description
Summary description and reason for designation
The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.
The monument comprises a defended enclosure, which probably dates to the Iron Age period (c. 800 BC - AD 74, the Roman conquest of Wales). It is located on the summit of a SW-facing promontory overlooking the Aeron valley to the S. The enclosure is an elongated oval in shape and measures 150m NE-SW by 50m transversely. The NE side is defended by a bank that measures 2m in height externally, but lies level with the interior. A simple gap marks the location of the entrance. The SW side is defended by a bank that measures up to 2m in height externally and a shallow outer ditch. On the NW and SE sides where the ground falls away steeply there is no obvious trace of a bank.
The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of later prehistoric defensive organisation. It forms an important element within the wider later prehistoric context and within the surrounding landscape. Although the site lies under improved pasture, much archaeological potential remains; both the interior and rampart may be expected to contain archaeological information concerning chronology, building techniques and functional detail.
The scheduled area comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is an irregular polygon in shape on plan and measures 195m NE-SW by 90m transversely.
Nearby in the register
- HafodDomesticunder 1 mi
- Tanrallt UchafDomesticunder 1 mi
- Round Cairn 460m S of Ty'n-y-RhosRound Cairnunder 1 mi
- DolwerddDomestic1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.