Scheduled MonumentsWalesLlechlwyd Hillfort
Prehistoric · Hillfort

Llechlwyd Hillfort

Meirionnydd, Wales
Cadw SAM ME124
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Hillfort
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM ME124
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1989-07-28
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Llechlwyd Hillfort is a prehistoric fortified settlement positioned on high ground in Wales. The site occupies bedrock formed from Silurian-age mafic igneous rock, part of an unnamed intrusion dating to the Ordovician and Silurian periods. This dense, dark volcanic foundation would have provided both a naturally defensible ridge and the hard stone necessary for construction of the fort's ramparts and structures.

The hillfort follows the typical Iron Age pattern of a settlement enclosed by one or more lines of earthen banks and ditches, though the precise extent and condition of these defences reflects the specific topography of this igneous outcrop. The elevated position commands views across the surrounding landscape, a characteristic feature of prehistoric hill forts built to monitor movement and assert territorial control during the late prehistoric period.

The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage conservation authority, under the reference ME124. This formal scheduling reflects its archaeological significance as evidence of prehistoric settlement and social organisation in Wales during the Iron Age and potentially earlier periods. The site remains an important record of how communities adapted their settlement strategies to the local geology and terrain.

Llechlwyd Hillfort is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference ME124. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Llechlwyd Hillfort?

Llechlwyd Hillfort is a prehistoric fortified settlement positioned on high ground in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference ME124.

What period does Llechlwyd Hillfort date from?

Llechlwyd Hillfort dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a hillfort. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Llechlwyd Hillfort?

Llechlwyd Hillfort 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 ME124.

What other scheduled monuments are near Llechlwyd Hillfort?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Tal-y-Gareg Camp (0.4 km), Castell-Mawr (1.8 km), Domen Ddreiniog (2.5 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Llechlwyd Hillfort

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Llechlwyd Hillfort'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 Llechlwyd Hillfort

Llechlwyd Hillfort stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Ordovician To Silurian, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is mafic igneous-rock.