Scheduled MonumentsWalesCaer Argoed
Prehistoric · Hillfort

Caer Argoed

Ceredigion, Wales
Cadw SAM CD051
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Hillfort
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM CD051
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1948-12-07
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Caer Argoed is a prehistoric hillfort in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference CD051. The monument occupies elevated ground underlain by Llandovery Rocks, a formation of interbedded sandstone and conglomerate that would have presented both opportunity and constraint to its builders. The local geology provided stone suitable for rampart construction, whilst the uneven bedrock topography influenced the placement and design of defensive earthworks.

The hillfort commands views across the surrounding landscape, a strategic position typical of Iron Age fortified settlements in Wales. Its defensive circuit would have served to control local territory and demonstrate communal labour and social organisation. The weathered bedrock outcropping across the site would have required careful terracing during construction, with ramparts and palisades built to take advantage of natural rock exposures.

Hillfort populations undertook seasonal activities including stock-keeping and crop cultivation on the slopes below. The site's survival into the modern period, despite agricultural use across the Welsh borderlands, reflects its substantial original construction. The monument remains a significant record of prehistoric settlement patterns and the social hierarchies that emerged during the later prehistoric period in Wales.

Caer Argoed is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CD051. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Caer Argoed?

Caer Argoed is a prehistoric hillfort in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference CD051.

What period does Caer Argoed date from?

Caer Argoed dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a hillfort. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Caer Argoed?

Caer Argoed 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 CD051.

What other scheduled monuments are near Caer Argoed?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Enclosure on Banc Pwlldrainllwyn (1.7 km), Ty'n-yr-Eithin Round Cairn (2.8 km), Moated Site at Trefenter (3 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Caer Argoed

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Caer Argoed'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 Caer Argoed

Caer Argoed stands on Llandovery Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Llandovery. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.