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Gaer Fawr is a prehistoric hillfort in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference BR052. The monument occupies elevated terrain underlain by Ludlow Rocks, a geological formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone laid down during the Ludlow period of the Palaeozoic Era. This bedrock geology would have shaped both the defensive properties of the site and the materials available for construction of its ramparts and fortifications.
The hillfort represents a significant settlement pattern of later prehistory, when such enclosed sites served as centres of residence, refuge and economic control across Wales. The choice of location on Ludlow bedrock provides naturally stable ground for substantial earthwork defences, whilst the underlying geology would have influenced water drainage and the character of soils supporting grazing and cultivation in the surrounding landscape.
As a scheduled and Cadw-protected monument, Gaer Fawr preserves evidence of prehistoric settlement strategies and land use in its local region. The site remains an important reference point for understanding hillfort distribution and construction across Welsh upland areas during the Bronze Age and Iron Age periods.
Gaer Fawr is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR052. View the official record →
Gaer Fawr is a prehistoric hillfort in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference BR052.
Gaer Fawr dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a hillfort. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Gaer Fawr 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 BR052.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Fennifach Standing Stone (7.8 km), Caer Rufeinig y Gaer (8.5 km), Coed Fenni-Fach Camp (8.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Gaer Fawr'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.
Gaer Fawr stands on Ludlow Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ludlow. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.