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Coed y Defaid Camp is a prehistoric hillfort located in Wales and protected by Cadw as monument MM134. The site occupies higher ground underlain by Pridoli rocks, a geological formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone dating to the Pridoli epoch. This varied bedrock would have presented both opportunities and challenges to those who fortified the site: the mixed lithology offering stone for construction whilst the harder sandstone bands provided naturally defensive outcrops.
Hillforts of this type typically date to the Iron Age, though some may have originated earlier in the Bronze Age. They served as defended settlements and focal points for local communities, with their elevated positions providing visibility across surrounding territory and strategic advantage against potential threats. The choice of this particular location suggests its builders recognised the defensive value of the higher ground and proximity to water sources and productive agricultural land.
Today Coed y Defaid Camp remains a significant monument, its earthworks largely preserved beneath woodland cover. The Pridoli geology visible in the surrounding landscape provides context for understanding both the practical choices made by Iron Age inhabitants and the natural resources available to them. The site contributes to our understanding of prehistoric settlement patterns and social organisation across Wales during the later prehistoric period.
Coed y Defaid Camp is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MM134. View the official record →
Coed y Defaid Camp is a prehistoric hillfort located in Wales and protected by Cadw as monument MM134. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference MM134.
Coed y Defaid Camp dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a hillfort. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Coed y Defaid Camp 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 MM134.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Gwern y Cleppa Burial Chamber (1.2 km), Croes Carn Einion Roman Site (1.6 km), Pen-y-Lan Camp (2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Coed y Defaid Camp'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.
Coed y Defaid Camp stands on Pridoli Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Pridoli. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.