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Cribyn Clottas is a prehistoric hillfort located in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled ancient monument under reference CD081. The site occupies high ground where the bedrock comprises Llandovery Rocks, a sequence of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formations dating to the Llandovery period. This geology shaped both the landscape the hillfort's builders chose and the materials available to them for construction.
The fort's position on the Welsh hills reflects the strategic considerations typical of Iron Age settlements in the region. Such hillforts commonly served as defended settlements, administrative centres or seasonal refuges for surrounding communities. The Llandovery bedrock underlying the site would have weathered into soil capable of supporting both the grazing lands and arable plots that sustained hillfort populations.
As a protected monument, Cribyn Clottas remains an important record of prehistoric settlement patterns in Wales. The site contributes to understanding how communities of the pre-Roman Iron Age exploited their landscape and organised their defences. The geological foundation of Llandovery rocks continues to define the monument's character and preservation today.
Cribyn Clottas is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CD081. View the official record →
Cribyn Clottas is a prehistoric hillfort located in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled ancient monument under reference CD081.
Cribyn Clottas dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a hillfort. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cribyn Clottas 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 CD081.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Gaer Maesmynach (1.7 km), Llanwnnen Ring Motte (4.3 km), Castell Olwen (4.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cribyn Clottas'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.
Cribyn Clottas stands on Llandovery Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Llandovery. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.