Scheduled MonumentsWalesCastle Head Defended Enclosure
Prehistoric · Promontory Fort - coastal

Castle Head Defended Enclosure

Pembrokeshire, Wales
Cadw SAM PE537
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Promontory Fort - coastal
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Castle Head Defended Enclosure is a prehistoric promontory fort located on the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales. The site occupies a naturally defensible coastal headland and is defined by substantial earthwork defences comprising banks and ditches that cut across the promontory to create an enclosed settlement area. Dating to the Iron Age, the fort exemplifies the settlement patterns and defensive strategies of late prehistoric Welsh communities, whose use of prominent coastal locations offered both protection and access to maritime resources. The site's survival as an upstanding earthwork makes it an important archaeological record of Iron Age fortification techniques in southwest Wales.

Castle Head Defended Enclosure is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference PE537. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Castle Head Defended Enclosure?

Castle Head Defended Enclosure is a prehistoric promontory fort located on the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference PE537.

What period does Castle Head Defended Enclosure date from?

Castle Head Defended Enclosure dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a promontory fort - coastal. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across Britain.

Who is responsible for protecting Castle Head Defended Enclosure?

Castle Head Defended Enclosure 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 PE537.

What other scheduled monuments are near Castle Head Defended Enclosure?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dale Airfield (4.4 km), Hut Groups on Gateholm Island (4.8 km), Great Castle Head Rath (5.5 km).

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