© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Castle Bank Hillfort is a prehistoric hillfort located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference RD149. The site occupies ground underlain by an unnamed igneous intrusion of mafic rock, dating to the Silurian period. This geological foundation of ancient volcanic material provided a naturally defensible position, with the hard igneous bedrock forming a substantial base for the construction and maintenance of earthworks across the hilltop.
Hillforts of this type typically served multiple purposes during the Iron Age and earlier periods, functioning as defended settlements, refuges and centres of local authority. The Ordovician and Silurian geology of the Welsh landscape, dominated by igneous intrusions and sedimentary sequences, shaped settlement patterns across the region. Communities exploited naturally prominent positions to maximize defensive advantage, and Castle Bank's elevated situation on solid volcanic bedrock exemplifies this strategic approach to settlement location.
The monument survives as an important record of prehistoric occupation and defence strategies in Wales. Its designation by Cadw recognises the archaeological significance of the site within the broader context of Iron Age settlement and the defensive architecture that characterised this period across Britain and beyond.
Castle Bank Hillfort is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference RD149. View the official record →
Castle Bank Hillfort is a prehistoric hillfort located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference RD149.
Castle Bank Hillfort dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a hillfort. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Castle Bank Hillfort 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 RD149.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Aberedw Hill Deserted Rural Settlement (6.2 km), Aberedw Hill Round Barrows (6.5 km), Llwyn-y-wrach standing stone (6.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Castle Bank Hillfort's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Castle Bank Hillfort stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Ordovician To Silurian, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is mafic igneous-rock.