Scheduled MonumentsWalesPen y Gaer
Prehistoric · Hillfort

Pen y Gaer

Carmarthenshire, Wales
Cadw SAM CM101
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Hillfort
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Pen y Gaer is a prehistoric hillfort located in Carmarthenshire, Wales, occupying a commanding position that reflects Iron Age defensive settlement strategies. The site is defined by substantial earthwork fortifications comprising banks and ditches that enclose the hilltop, a characteristic feature of Iron Age hillforts in Wales dating to approximately the first millennium BC. The monument's prominent location and structural defences indicate its role as a significant territorial and administrative centre during the Iron Age period. Pen y Gaer remains an important archaeological record of prehistoric settlement patterns and defensive architecture in the region, now protected as a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw's designation.

Pen y Gaer is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM101. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Pen y Gaer?

Pen y Gaer is a prehistoric hillfort located in Carmarthenshire, Wales, occupying a commanding position that reflects Iron Age defensive settlement strategies. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CM101.

What period does Pen y Gaer date from?

Pen y Gaer 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 Pen y Gaer?

Pen y Gaer 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 CM101.

What other scheduled monuments are near Pen y Gaer?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Derlwyn round barrow cemetery (2.5 km), Pant-Teg Standing Stone (4 km), Crugiau Edryd Round Barrows (4.1 km).

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