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Pen y Gaer Hillfort is a prehistoric fortified settlement in Wales, protected as a scheduled monument under Cadw reference CM207. The site occupies a naturally defensible position where bedrock of Ashgill age—comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone—forms the geological foundation. These sedimentary rocks, laid down in the later Ordovician period, would have provided both structural stability for construction and stone for fortification walls. The hillfort's location exploits the local topography to command views across the surrounding landscape, a characteristic feature of Iron Age settlement strategy in upland Wales. The substantial earthworks visible today reflect prehistoric communities' investment in communal defence and territorial control during a period of increasing social complexity and competition for resources.
Pen y Gaer Hillfort is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM207. View the official record →
Pen y Gaer Hillfort is a prehistoric fortified settlement in Wales, protected as a scheduled monument under Cadw reference CM207.
Pen y Gaer 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.
Pen y Gaer 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 CM207.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Twlc y Filliast Burial Chamber (7.3 km), Rhyd-Lydan Cromlech (7.5 km), Meini Llwydion Burial Chamber (8.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Pen y Gaer Hillfort'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.
Pen y Gaer Hillfort stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.