Cefn Carnedd is an
Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
hillfort
A hillfort is a type of fortification, fortified refuge or defended settlement located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typical of the late Bronze Age Europe, European Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe, Iron Age. So ...
, about south-west of
Caersws
Caersws (; ) is a village and community (Wales), community on the River Severn, in the Wales, Welsh county of Powys; it was formerly in Montgomeryshire. It is located west of Newtown, Powys, Newtown, halfway between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury. ...
, in
Powys
Powys ( , ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It borders Gwynedd, Denbighshire, and Wrexham County Borough, Wrexham to the north; the English Ceremonial counties of England, ceremo ...
, Wales. It is a
scheduled monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage, visu ...
.
It is on a hill overlooking the
River Severn
The River Severn (, ), at long, is the longest river in Great Britain. It is also the river with the most voluminous flow of water by far in all of England and Wales, with an average flow rate of at Apperley, Gloucestershire. It rises in t ...
to the east, and Afon Cerist and Afon Trannon to the north; there is a river confluence to the north-east, between the fort and Caersws.
Description
The fort is about by orientated north-east to south-west, aligned with the shape of the hill; it encloses an area of about . There are triple banks and ditches on the north-west side, and there are entrances in the north-east and south-west.
[Christopher Houlder. ''Wales: An Archaeological Guide''. Faber and Faber, 1978. Page 96.]
In an early phase, there was a smaller fort of at the south-west end, traces of the north-east rampart of this being visible in aerial photographs. There is a straight bank and ditch across the interior, which was built at a late stage.[
]
History
It is thought that the fort may have been a stronghold of the Ordovices
The Ordovīcēs (Common Brittonic: *''Ordowīces'') were one of the Celtic tribes living in Great Britain before the Roman invasion. Their tribal lands were located in present-day North Wales and England, between the Silures to the south and the ...
, and it is one of the locations suggested as the site of Caratacus' last battle
The final battle in Caratacus' resistance to Roman rule was fought in 50 AD. The Romans under Publius Ostorius Scapula defeated the Britons and in the aftermath captured Caratacus himself, since 43 the leader of armed opposition to the Roma ...
in AD 51, when he was defeated by the Romans.
See also
* Hillforts in Britain
Hillforts in Britain refers to the various hillforts within the island of Great Britain. Although the earliest such constructs fitting this description come from the Neolithic British Isles, with a few also dating to later Bronze Age Britain, Briti ...
* List of Scheduled prehistoric Monuments in Powys (Montgomeryshire)
References
{{Reflist
Hillforts in Powys
Scheduled monuments in Powys