The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust
Historic Environment Record
 

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Gaer

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 00972g
Trust : Glamorgan Gwent
Community : Trellech United
Unitary authority : Monmouthshire
NGR : SO49300377
Site Type (preferred type first) : Iron Age Hillfort
Status : Scheduled Monument

Summary :
A sub rectangular enclosure defended by single bank.. The entrance is located at the southwest corner, flanked on one side by heightened and thickened terminal of bank.. There is a single hut circle on the platform sunk into hillslope on the north side.

Description :
A sub rectangular enclosure defended by single bank.. The entrance is located at the southwest corner, flanked on one side by heightened and thickened terminal of bank.. There is a single hut circle on the platform sunk into hillslope on the north side.

The enclosure is situated on high land, 220m OD, on a hillslope that rises further to the north. The land to the south of the enclosure falls away suddenly by about 20m, to about 200m OD. The site is of bi-vallate defence, with the inner bank and ditch still visible, standing at between 1- 1.5m outside and between 0.4 - 0.6m on the inside. The outer bank is less well defined standing at about 0.4m high in most areas, but completely lost from view directly south of the enclosure where this has suffered from much burrowing and modern quarrying (small scale).. It is this area on the steep but quarried slope that there is suggestion of a further annexe to the main enclosure.
A simple break in the south western part of the outer defence with a second break further south in the inner defence seems to indicate the entrance to this enclosure. The interior has vague irregularities and undulations and the mound of stone and earth on the southern side of the entrance is probably the result of field clearance. An earthwork within the interior could be interpreted as a hut circle but it is very vague. Except on the southwest where there is a scarp 2.5m wide and 0.4m high, its perimeter is only faintly visible.
To the west of the earthwork are two circular depressions scooped out of the hillside and the upcast used to embank the lower side in each case. These earthworks are 0.4m deep and are 9.0m in diameter. They are unlikely to be hut circles for their position is such that surface drainage would collect in the depressions. There are no traces of entrance and the date and purpose of the earthworks could not be determined from visual inspection. Similar earthworks exist to the southeast of the earthwork, and while it is possible they are house platforms, it seems likely that these may have result from further quarrying in the area. (Wiggins 2006)

Sources :
Blockley, M and Dingwall, L , 2000 , An assessment of the archaeological and industrial heritage of the Wye Valley AONB
Savory H.N. , 1950 , List of Hill-Forts and Other Earthworks in Wales: II Monmouthshire , The Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies : XIII pt.IV : 231-238
Wiggins, H , 2006 , Prehistoric defended enclosures in Gwent ( © GGAT)
01/Mm AP Gazeteer/2004 January/Sorrell John/Aerial Archaeological Photographs of Gwent/SMR Library
02/Desc Text/Cadw/Full Management Report /11/01/2007/Copy in further information file.

Events :
E001505 : Field visit to Gaer (year : 2006)
E001550 : Prehistoric defended enclosures Gwent (year : 2006)
E002646 : Assessment of the Wye Valley DBA (year : 2000)

Related records
National Monuments Record NPRN 306487 http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/306487/details
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 07724g
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 00973g
GGAT Historic Environment Record (HER) 00974g

Compiled date : 02-05-1988


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