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Garn Goch Camps is a prehistoric hillfort situated on a naturally prominent location in Wales. The site is protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference CM037. The hillfort's position exploits the underlying geology, which consists of Llanvirn rocks composed of alternating mudstone, siltstone and sandstone beds of Whiterock age. These durable Ordovician strata would have provided natural defensive advantages, their harder bands resistant to weathering and potentially aiding the construction of ramparts and fortifications.
The monument comprises a hilltop settlement defended by multiple enclosing banks and ditches, a common form of settlement in Iron Age Britain and the preceding Bronze Age period. Such camps served as communal strongholds for pastoral and agricultural communities, offering protection from both raiders and the elements whilst facilitating the storage of seasonal surplus and the gathering of the dispersed population during times of threat or assembly. The twin camps at this location suggest either sequential occupation across different periods or contemporary use of separate defended enclosures.
The site's survival and archaeological importance derive partly from its highland position, where ploughing has been minimal and the earthworks remain visible in the present landscape. The specific geological setting at Garn Goch, rising above surrounding ground, would have been recognisable to Iron Age communities as a location of natural strength, making it an obvious choice for fortification and communal defence.
Garn Goch Camps is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM037. View the official record →
Garn Goch Camps is a prehistoric hillfort situated on a naturally prominent location in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CM037.
Garn Goch Camps dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a hillfort. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Garn Goch Camps 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 CM037.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Carn Pen-y-Clogau (6.3 km), Beddau'r Derwyddon (6.4 km), Two Burnt Mounds 350m W of Cwrtbrynbeirdd (6.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Garn Goch Camps'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.
Garn Goch Camps stands on Llanvirn Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Whiterock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.