CPAT Regional Historic Environment Record
The following information is from the on-line database 'Archwilio'.
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Cwm Aran Hillfort

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 1107
Trust : Clwyd Powys
Community : Llanddewi Ystradenny
Unitary authority : Powys
NGR : SO1463070090
Site Type (preferred type first) : IRON AGE HILLFORT
Status : scheduled monument

Summary :
Kidney shaped hillfort measuring 90m by 50m orientated E-W. Prominent position on E-W ridge. Entrance in W. Defences comprise bank with traces of outer ditch. Possible remains of annexe to W.

This Scheduled Ancient Monument has an existing Cadw management agreement.

Description :
Univallate hillfort. Kidney shaped. Axies of 90m and 50m orientated E-W. Prominent position on E-W ridge. Entrance in W. Defences comprise bank with traces of outer ditch. Possible remains of annexe to W.

Previous repairs to animal erosion on the southern banks of the hill fort appear to have repaired well and have not re-occurred. (CPAT Tir Gofal assessment, 2004)

Cwm Aran hillfort is essentially a univallate hiIlfort, colloquially kidney-shaped and with internal axes of 75m from east to west and just under 50m from north-west to south-east. It is however more complex that this. Firstly, the bank and ditch, the latter intermittent in places, has an outer bank showing as little more than a low counterscarp on the south side. Also on the western side the two arms of the earthwork overlap to create a funnelled appearance for a distance of some 30m. However, this does not appear to be an exotic entrance form for there are gaps in both the inner and the outer earthwork to form an 8m-wide entrance. A second gap on the eastern side no more than 3m wide appears to form a secondary entrance, though this
may be of a later date.

Thirty-five metres to the west of the main entrance is another earthwork. Whether this should be termed a cross-ridge bank or an annexe bank is unclear but either way it is evident that there was some sort of outer 'enclosure' here and two waterlogged hollows might conceivably represent water-collection points or even wells. It has however two gaps in it, the more southerly of which looks to be the entrance. However, the earthwork as an entity might be considered unfinished.

Apparently previously unnoticed, a 16m-long rectangular hut occupies the interior of the
earthwork. Conventionally this should be attributed to the medieval period, but it is not impossible that it is either later or earlier than this period (Defended Enclosures in Radnorshire Project, CPAT, 2006).

Sources :
Anon , 1911 , title unknown - Cwm Aran Hillfort
Bull, D E , 2004 , Tir Gofal Management Plan: Heritage Management Information (HE1). Lowersign - E/09/4921
Bull, D E , 2004 , Tir Gofal Management Plan: Heritage Management Information (HE2). Lowersign - E/09/4921
Cadw , 1986 , Scheduling map - Rd094(POW)
Cadw , 1999 , Cadw Field Monument Wardens Report - Rd094(POW)
Cadw , 2003 , Cadw Field Monument Wardens Report - Rd094(POW)
Hogg, A H A , 1979 , British Hillforts: an index
Ordnance Survey , 1964 , OS map
Ordnance Survey , 1971 , OS record card SO17SW 3
Ordnance Survey , 1977 , OS record card SO17SW 3
Ordnance Survey , 1977 , OS record card SO17SW 3
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales , 1913 , Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Wales and Monmouth III - County of Radnor
Savory, H N , 1954 , title unknown - Cwm Cefn y Gaer Hillfort , The Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies : 15 : 74,307
Silvester, R J & Hankinson, R , 2005 , Defended Enclosures In Radnorshire ( © Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust)
Silvester, R J & Hankinson, R , 2006 , Defended Enclosures in Radnorshire, Project Report ( © Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust)
Welsh Office Ancient Monuments Branch , 1974 , Schedule of Ancient Monuments in Wales
Welsh Office Ancient Monuments Branch , 1980 , Scheduling map - Rd094(POW)
Welsh Office Ancient Monuments Branch , 1981 , Schedule of Ancient Monuments in Wales
Williams, J , 1858 , History of Radnorshire , Archaeologia Cambrensis : 4 : 469-616

Events :
115438 : Defended Enclosures in Radnorshire, assessment project 2006 (year : 2006)

Related records

Compiled date : 31-12-1980


Images :



Archaeological data, from the Historic Environment Record, supplied by The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust in partnership with Local Authorities, Cadw and the partners of ENDEX © CPAT, 2025 (and in part © Crown, 2025). It is intended to be used for private research only and is not for use as part of commercial projects. If you wish to use this information for publication in printed or multimedia form or to compile resources for commercial use, prior permission must be obtained in writing. Use of this information is subject to the terms and conditions of access to HER data published on CPAT's website. Please contact the HER if you have any further questions regarding this information. Please quote the Primary Reference Numbers (PRNs) in any correspondence.

March 28, 2025, 2:42 pm - File produced for Archwilio from CPAT's Regional HER.
Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust, The Offices, Coed y Dinas, Welshpool, Powys, SY21 8RP
tel (01938) 553670, email her@cpat.org.uk, website www.cpat.org.uk

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