© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Cwm Berwyn Camp is a prehistoric hillfort located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference RD123. The site occupies ground underlain by Ordovician mafic tuff, a volcanic rock formed during the Ordovician period when submarine eruptions created layers of fine-grained rock across this region. This ancient bedrock has weathered over millions of years to shape the local landscape upon which the hillfort was constructed.
Hillforts of this type were typically built during the Iron Age as defended settlements, though some were established and reoccupied across longer periods. The volcanic geology at Cwm Berwyn would have presented both opportunities and challenges for construction, affecting drainage and the feasibility of rampart building. The mafic tuff's natural fracturing patterns may have been exploited in quarrying stone for defensive works.
The site's preservation under Cadw reflects its significance to understanding Iron Age settlement patterns and defensive strategies in Wales. The relationship between the hillfort's earthworks and the underlying Ordovician geology remains an important aspect of its archaeological character, anchoring the monument within both the human and geological history of the Welsh landscape.
Cwm Berwyn Camp is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference RD123. View the official record →
Cwm Berwyn Camp is a prehistoric hillfort located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference RD123.
Cwm Berwyn 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.
Cwm Berwyn 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 RD123.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Builth Castle (4.8 km), Aberedw Hill Deserted Rural Settlement (5 km), Aberedw Hill Round Barrows (5.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cwm Berwyn 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.
Cwm Berwyn Camp stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Ordovician, bedrock that formed in the Ordovician. The rock here is mafic tuff.