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Defended Enclosure 250m NE of Pont Henllan is a prehistoric promontory fort situated in Wales on bedrock of Ashgill age. The underlying geology comprises mudstone, siltstone and sandstone, typical of the Ashgill formation, which provides a naturally resistant foundation for the structures built upon it. The promontory position itself would have offered defensive advantages, exploiting the natural topography of the landscape.
Promontory forts of this type represent a distinctive form of Iron Age or earlier prehistoric settlement, where a naturally jutting area of land is fortified with one or more substantial defensive earthworks across the narrowest point. Such locations provided both security and practical advantages for communities inhabiting the upland regions of Wales. The siting demonstrates careful consideration of both geography and geology in selecting a defensible position.
The monument is protected by Cadw under reference CD276, recognising its significance as part of the archaeological heritage of Wales. The fort's location inland, rather than on a coastal promontory, reflects the distribution of defended settlement in the interior upland zones during the prehistoric period. Its preservation provides evidence of ancient settlement patterns and defensive strategies adapted to the Welsh landscape.
Defended Enclosure 250m NE of Pont Henllan is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CD276. View the official record →
Defended Enclosure 250m NE of Pont Henllan is a prehistoric promontory fort situated in Wales on bedrock of Ashgill age. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CD276.
Defended Enclosure 250m NE of Pont Henllan dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a promontory fort - inland. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Defended Enclosure 250m NE of Pont Henllan 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 CD276.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Carreg Wen Standing Stone (6.8 km), Clawdd-Mawr (7.3 km), Nant-Gronw Round Barrows (7.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Defended Enclosure 250m NE of Pont Henllan'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.
Defended Enclosure 250m NE of Pont Henllan stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.