Scheduled MonumentsWalesGreenala Camp
Prehistoric · Promontory Fort- coastal

Greenala Camp

Pembrokeshire, Wales
Cadw SAM PE046
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Promontory Fort- coastal
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Greenala Camp is a prehistoric promontory fort situated on the Welsh coast. The site occupies a naturally defensible headland, with the surrounding Pridoli rocks—a formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone dating to the Pridoli geological period—providing a rugged backdrop and contributing to the strategic prominence of the location. The fort's position on the promontory would have allowed control over coastal routes and activities whilst the elevated terrain offered clear sightlines across the surrounding seascape and hinterland.

Promontory forts of this type typically date from the Iron Age, though some may have earlier or later phases of occupation. They represent an efficient use of natural topography, requiring fortification only across the narrow neck of land connecting the headland to the mainland, leaving the seaward approaches protected by cliffs and rocky coastline. The geological foundation of Pridoli rocks would have presented both practical challenges and advantages for the construction and maintenance of defensive works.

The monument is protected under Cadw's statutory guardianship as reference PE046, recognising its significance within Wales's prehistoric heritage. The combination of coastal location, natural promontory form and underlying geology makes Greenala Camp an important example of Iron Age settlement strategy in the Welsh maritime landscape.

Greenala Camp is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference PE046. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Greenala Camp?

Greenala Camp is a prehistoric promontory fort situated on the Welsh coast. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference PE046.

What period does Greenala Camp date from?

Greenala Camp dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a promontory fort- coastal. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Greenala Camp?

Greenala 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 PE046.

What other scheduled monuments are near Greenala Camp?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Stackpole Earthwork (2 km), Stackpole Warren Standing Stone (3 km), Stackpole Warren Hut Group (3.3 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Greenala Camp

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Greenala Camp's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Greenala Camp

Greenala Camp stands on Pridoli Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Pridoli. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.