Crowther's Coppice Camp

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the scheduled 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). Hillforts are usually located on hilltops and surrounded by a single or multiple earthworks of massive proportions. Hillforts must have formed symbols of power within the landscape, while their function may have had as much to do with ostentation and display as defence. Crowther's Coppice Camp comprises a hillfort situated at the northern end of a ridge. It is defended by a double bank and ditch. The western portion is thickly wooded, with defences at southern end. The entrance appears to have been on the north-east, the defences to the west of it being triple. There is a steep scarp on the east side so that only a single bank was needed to defend it. The outer banks seem to run straight down the slope for a short distance (possibly ending in platforms from which the single rampart could be covered).

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.