Scheduled MonumentsWalesByrllysg promontory fort
Prehistoric · Promontory Fort - inland

Byrllysg promontory fort

Meirionnydd, Wales
Cadw SAM ME064
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Promontory Fort - inland
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Byrllysg promontory fort is a prehistoric promontory fort situated in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference ME064. The site occupies a naturally defensible headland, a common location for fortified settlements from the Iron Age and earlier periods. Promontory forts were typically enclosed on three sides by steep slopes or cliffs, with only the inland approach requiring artificial fortification.

The underlying geology consists of Lower Cambrian rocks—primarily mudstone, siltstone and sandstone—deposited during the Early Cambrian period over 500 million years ago. This bedrock would have been exposed across the promontory, shaping its topography and the defensive potential of the site. The local stone types available would have been suitable for building construction, though weathering of these softer sedimentary rocks over millennia has shaped the current appearance of the landscape.

As an inland promontory fort, Byrllysg would have served defensive and settlement functions for the prehistoric communities of Wales. Such sites often controlled important routes or territory, and their elevated, defensible positions made them significant places within their landscapes. The monument remains an important record of Iron Age or earlier settlement patterns in the Welsh interior.

Byrllysg promontory fort is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference ME064. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Byrllysg promontory fort?

Byrllysg promontory fort is a prehistoric promontory fort situated in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference ME064.

What period does Byrllysg promontory fort date from?

Byrllysg promontory fort dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a promontory fort - inland. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Byrllysg promontory fort?

Byrllysg promontory fort is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is ME064.

What other scheduled monuments are near Byrllysg promontory fort?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Enclosed Hut Circle Settlement and Long huts E of Egryn Abbey (3.9 km), Settlement & Fields Systems above Egryn Abbey (4 km), Mynydd Egryn Ring Cairn (4.3 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Byrllysg promontory fort

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Byrllysg promontory fort's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Byrllysg promontory fort

Byrllysg promontory fort stands on Lower Cambrian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Cambrian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.