Dyfed Archaeological Trust Historic Environment
Record
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Gaer; Troed Y Rhiw Sion
Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 9620 Trust : Dyfed Community : Beulah Unitary authority : Ceredigion NGR : SN291428 Site Type (preferred type first) : Iron Age Defended Enclosure Status : Scheduled Monument
Summary : Located at approximately 100m above sea level on an inland promontory, Gaer is a good example of a bivallate defended enclosure. To the west, south and east wooded valley sides fall away steeply, but to the northeast the land falls a few metres into a saddle before rising gently to a local summit some 400m distant. The site is overlooked from the northeast.
It is an earthwork site, with an inner circular enclosure c. 50m - 60m diameter defined by a bank up to 1.5m high at its highest point close to a simple northwest-facing entrance. Away from the entrance the bank is up to 1m high. A slight hollow marks the line of the ditch outside this bank except on the steep south, southwest and southeast side. The interior of the enclosure is flat. The outer line of defences lies 12m - 15m from the inner enclosure and consist of a length of bank up to 1m high on the north side. This bank terminates at the northwest facing entrance and fades to the northeast. However, to the northeast the line of the outer ditch is clearly visible as a linear hollow up to 0.7m deep. An old track (marked as a boundary on old maps) running concentric to the enclosure on the steep slope to the west, south and southeast may perpetuate the line of outer defensive circuit.
An aerial photograph shows all the elements of this site, plus what may be a third line of defences on the north side. The photo seems to show an entrance on the northeast side, but on the ground this is clearly incorrect. In 2005, the site was under improved pasture and in good condition. K Murphy 7 October 2005
Description : A subcircular hillfort, multivallate. The banks and ditches show as cropmarks on aerial photographs, although they probably stand as earthworks. K Murphy 2004.
Sources :
CADW , 2008 , AM107
CADW , 2008 , Notification of scheduling
Cadw , 2013 , Scheduled Monument consent
K. Murphy, R. Ramsey and M. Page , 2006 , A SURVEY OF DEFENDED ENCLOSURES IN CEREDIGION, 2006: GAZETTEER OF ORDNANCE SURVEY GRID SQUARE SN24
Lewis,S , 1833 , Topographical Dictionary of Wales ,
Maynard,DJ , 1980 , DRF ,
Maynard,DJ , 1980 , DRF ,
Murphy K , 1996 , Plot of aerial phots for RCAHMW now in GIS layers ,
Murphy,K , 2004 , Assessment of Prehistoric Defended Enclosures 2004-5, Report No 2004-100 ,
OS , 'Gaer' place-name at SN28854305 ,
RCAHMW , 1995 , black and white photo 955158-66, colour slide 95-CS-1748 and 50 ,
RCAHMW , 1996 , black and white photo 965078-54, 965113-47 to 49, colour slide 96-CS-0993 ,
