Scheduled MonumentsWalesCastell Perthi-Mawr
Prehistoric · Hillfort

Castell Perthi-Mawr

Ceredigion, Wales
Cadw SAM CD062
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Hillfort
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Castell Perthi-Mawr is a prehistoric hillfort situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CD062. The site occupies ground underlain by Llandovery Rocks, a formation of interbedded sandstone and conglomerate deposited during the Llandovery epoch. This geology provided both a defensible position and stone suitable for construction of the hillfort's ramparts.

The monument represents the Iron Age tradition of hillforts constructed across Wales and the broader British Isles. Such sites typically served multiple purposes: as defended settlements, livestock enclosures and centres of local authority. The hillfort's location on this geological foundation would have offered natural strength whilst the local stone resources allowed for the building of substantial earthwork and stone defences.

The precise form and condition of Castell Perthi-Mawr's defences, and the extent of domestic or administrative occupation within, reflect patterns common to Welsh hillforts of the period. Archaeological evidence from comparable sites suggests these monuments remained significant features of the landscape from their construction through the Roman period and beyond, representing enduring focal points for communities across the region.

Castell Perthi-Mawr is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CD062. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Castell Perthi-Mawr?

Castell Perthi-Mawr is a prehistoric hillfort situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CD062.

What period does Castell Perthi-Mawr date from?

Castell Perthi-Mawr 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 Castell Perthi-Mawr?

Castell Perthi-Mawr 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 CD062.

What other scheduled monuments are near Castell Perthi-Mawr?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Llan-Llyr Inscribed Stone (3.4 km), Pen Clawdd-Mawr Defended Enclosure (4.5 km), Castell Cwmere (4.5 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Castell Perthi-Mawr

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Castell Perthi-Mawr'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 Castell Perthi-Mawr

Castell Perthi-Mawr stands on Llandovery Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Llandovery. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.