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The comprehensive gazetteer and bibliography of the medieval castles, fortifications and palaces of England, Wales, the Islands.
 
 
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Felin Cwrrws, Llandyfroig

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Felin Cwrrs; Felin Cwrws; Henllan

In the community of Llandyfroig.
In the historic county of Cardiganshire.
Modern authority of Ceredigion.
Preserved county of Dyfed.

OS Map Grid Reference: SN35154112
Latitude 52.04420° Longitude -4.40492°

Felin Cwrrws, Llandyfroig has been described as a probable Timber Castle.

There are earthwork remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

Description

A small promontory fort with a single curving bank and ditch. The bank is up to c.3.6m in height with a wide U shaped ditch up to 1.5m deep. Although the defences have been truncated at both north and south the entrance was probably at the north end where there is a causeway. JH 1995 based on Cadw 1988. (Dyfed Archaeological Trust HER)

A roughly 34m sweep of west-facing rampart & ditch cuts off a rather tapering, steep-sided promontory, about 24m deep, overhanging the valley of the Afon Cynllo: a defensive earthwork of uncertain date. (Coflein)

The monument comprises the remains of a defended enclosure, which probably dates to the Iron Age period (c. 800 BC - AD 74, the Roman conquest of Wales) but may equally date to the early Medieval period. Inland promontory forts are usually located on a ridge or spur with steep slopes on 2 or 3 sides, and artificial ramparts on the level approaches. Alternatively they may have been constructed on a promontory above the confluence of two rivers, or in the bend of a meander. This site occupies a small natural promontory forming a headland above the Afon Cynllo. The defences, which consist of a substantial bank 2.8m high with an outer ditch up to 1.5m deep, run for a distance of c.34m around the more accessible west of the promontory, enclosing a fairly level area measuring only c.30m north-south by 24m. The most likely site for an entrance is at the north end of the rampart, where there is a causeway across the ditch. (Scheduling Report)
Comments

David King consider this to be a medieval partial ringwork but it is scheduled as an Iron Age defensive enclosure. Beside a road as it climbs through a steep valey onto the hills but otherwise isolated from settlement. May have had some medieval use as a control point but seems unlikely as a residential castle site.
Links to archaeological and architectural databases, mapping and other online resources

Data >
Coflein   County HER   Scheduling        
Maps >
Streetmap   NLS maps   Where's the path   Old-Maps      
Data/Maps > 
Magic   Historic Wales   V. O. B.   Geology   LIDAR  
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Sources of information, references and further reading
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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.
Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
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This record last updated 05/07/2016 22:48:02


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