Burry Holms Camp

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 defended enclosure which probably dates to the Iron Age period (c. 800 BC - AD 43). The enclosure is located on a narrow coastal promontory above the sea that marks part of the defensive circuit. The construction of one or more ramparts placed across the neck of the promontory divide it from the mainland.

Burry Holms possesses excellent natural defences, and at high tide the headland it sits on becomes an island making the site even more impregnable. The highest, outermost part of the headland was fortified by a high bank, ditch and outer counterscarp bank. The bank runs north-south straight across the headland, and the ditch makes use of a natural fault. The entrance is a simple gap with a causeway across the ditch in the middle of the bank.

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, layout, 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.