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Civil War Earthworks is a post-medieval siegework in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference DE028. These defensive structures date from the English Civil War period, when fortified earthworks were hastily constructed across the British Isles to command strategic positions and control surrounding territories. The site exploits its location on Permian sandstone and conglomerate bedrock, typical of south Wales geology, which would have provided both natural advantages for defence and practical constraints for excavation and construction.
The earthworks consist of linear banks and ditches engineered to withstand cannon fire and musket attack, employing the trace italienne principles adapted for rapid wartime construction. The interbedded nature of the local sandstone and conglomerate allowed diggers to create defined scarps and ditches, though the mixed geology would have presented variable resistance during excavation. Such works were often temporary in design, intended for immediate tactical use rather than permanent fortification.
Civil War siegeworks across Wales vary considerably in scale and preservation, reflecting their piecemeal construction by Parliamentary or Royalist forces responding to local military circumstances. This example remains archaeologically significant as evidence of seventeenth-century conflict landscapes and military engineering practices adapted to Welsh terrain. The monument's survival and protection recognise its importance in understanding the Civil War's physical impact on the Welsh countryside.
Civil War Earthworks is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE028. View the official record →
Civil War Earthworks is a post-medieval siegework in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference DE028.
Civil War Earthworks dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a siegework. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Civil War Earthworks 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 DE028.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Earl of Leicester's Church (0.1 km), Denbigh Medieval Town (North - Eastern Corner) (0.1 km), St Hilary's Chapel (0.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Civil War Earthworks'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.
Civil War Earthworks stands on Permian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Permian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.