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Castle Ditches is a prehistoric hillfort situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference GM071. The site occupies bedrock of the Lias Group, comprising mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone deposited during the Aalenian period. This geology has shaped the hillfort's physical character and the defensive capabilities offered by its position.
Hillforts of this type typically date from the Bronze Age or Iron Age and served as fortified settlements or refuges. Castle Ditches's name reflects the prominent earthwork defences that characterise such monuments, with ditches forming a key element of the fortification scheme. The topography and underlying geology would have influenced the fort's layout and construction, with the bedrock providing a foundation for the defensive works.
Today Castle Ditches remains an important record of prehistoric settlement and territorial control in Wales. The surviving earthworks preserve evidence of Iron Age society and settlement patterns, whilst the monument's physical survival under Cadw's stewardship ensures continued protection of this significant archaeological asset for study and public access.
Castle Ditches is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM071. View the official record →
Castle Ditches is a prehistoric hillfort situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference GM071.
Castle Ditches 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 Ditches 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 GM071.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including East Orchard Manor House (3.6 km), East Orchard Wood Pillbox (3.8 km), Site of Medieval Mill & Mill Leat Cliffwood (4.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Castle Ditches'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 Ditches stands on Lias Group, bedrock that formed in the Aalenian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone.