Mynydd Morvil (The Gatehouse Record)

Mynydd Morvil

In the community of Puncheston.
In the historic county of Pembrokeshire.
Modern authority of Pembrokeshire.
Preserved county of Dyfed.

OS Map Grid Reference: SN03373140
Latitude 51.94640° Longitude -4.86216°

Mynydd Morvil has been described as a Timber Castle although is doubtful that it was such.

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains.

Description

A roughly semi-circular bank and ditch earthwork, around 60m in diameter situated on level ground towards the western end of Mynydd Morvil ridge at 280m above sea level. The bank stands up to around 0.6m in height but the exterior ditch is more slight, and is only visible for parts of the circumference. A field boundary roughly marks the eastern edge of the site, but overlies the earthwork at its north end. No trace of the feature can be seen continuing to the east, and it is unknown if it was originally circular, or whether the semi-circle that survives is, in fact, the extent of it. At the centre of the site is what appears to be a rock outcrop. Although small, it is a noticeable feature of the enclosure, and it is possible that the bank was deliberately constructed around it.There has been some confusion over this site in the past, and there are three records in the SMR which probably relate to it. PRN 1429 relates to a castle site which was identified on William Rees' map of 14th century Wales and the Borders (Rees,W:1932:SW sheet). He claims this location for an abandoned minor castle at that time. It is possible that this earthwork (PRN 1556) is the site to which he was referring, and the site is marked as 'Castell (site of) on the 1891 and 1908 Ordnance Survey maps. In 1964 the Ordnance Survey recorded: "About 1900 there were apparently the remains of a small cairn within the lines of an enclosure" (OS:1964:SN03 SW10). This recorded site was allocated a number - PRN 1539 - but the description does sound as though it relates, again, to the earthwork site (PRN 1556). It is interesting that the Ordnance Survey noted a 'small cairn' - this may imply that there were more earthworks at that time than are visible now.The date or function of this enclosure is unknown. It may be related to the long hut (PRN 1523), perhaps used for stock - a pen or fold. However, it may be considerably earlier - small enclosures are often thought to be Bronze or Iron Age in date, and if the site did indeed contain a cairn, that may support the idea of a prehistoric date. PG Nov 2003. (Dyfed Archaeological Trust HER)

At the site of an earthwork marked 'Castell (Site of)' by the Ordnance Survey on Mynydd Morvil at SN 03355 31505, there are no remains. However a 60m-diameter semi circular enclosure bank, with traces of a ditch is visible some 100m to the south. Remains of medieval settlement elements to the east have been linked to it, but this may be an Iron Age defended enclosure, possibly the one said to have held the remains of a small cairn in about 1900. Local tradition speaks of a battle having been fought here (see nprn 405242) (Coflein as unknown enclosure)

Comments

Davis writes 'Place name or documentary evidence of fortified dwelling.' Marked on OS map as C shaped earthwork and small mound. In isolated position in welsh Pembrokeshire but site does overlook road at fairly narrow pass of Bwlch-wyniad.

Sources of information, references and further reading

The National Monument Record (Coflein) number(s) for this site is/are 304369.
The County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) for this site is/are 1556.

Books
- Davis, Paul, 2000, A Company of Forts. A Guide to the Medieval Castles of West Wales (Gomer Press) p. 124
  Rees, Wm, 1932, Map of South Wales and the Border in the 14th century (Ordnance Survey) (A handbook to the map was published in 1933)

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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.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

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Locations derived from OS grid references and from latitude longitiude may differ by a small distance.
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This record last updated before 1 February 2016

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