Scheduled MonumentsWalesStackpole Earthwork
Prehistoric · Enclosure

Stackpole Earthwork

Pembrokeshire, Wales
Cadw SAM PE347
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Enclosure
Broad class
Monument
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM PE347
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1960-03-15
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Stackpole Earthwork is a prehistoric enclosure situated in Wales on bedrock composed of Pridoli rocks, a sequence of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed during the Pridoli period. The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage organisation, under reference PE347. The underlying geology of mudstone and siltstone would have been relatively soft and workable for the communities who constructed this earthwork, though the introduction of sandstone beds would have provided harder stone suitable for tools and structures.

The enclosure represents a form of settlement or territorial marker typical of prehistoric Wales. Such earthworks frequently served multiple purposes: defence, stock management, ritual gathering or a combination of these functions. The specific form and dimensions of Stackpole Earthwork reflect the engineering practices and social needs of its builders.

The monument's survival on this geological foundation has been aided by the stable nature of the bedrock, which has resisted significant erosion despite millennia of exposure to the Welsh climate. The protection afforded by Cadw recognises its importance as evidence of prehistoric land use and social organisation in the region.

Stackpole Earthwork is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference PE347. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Stackpole Earthwork?

Stackpole Earthwork is a prehistoric enclosure situated in Wales on bedrock composed of Pridoli rocks, a sequence of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed during the Pridoli period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference PE347.

What period does Stackpole Earthwork date from?

Stackpole Earthwork dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a enclosure. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Stackpole Earthwork?

Stackpole Earthwork 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 PE347.

What other scheduled monuments are near Stackpole Earthwork?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Stackpole Warren Standing Stone (1.7 km), Greenala Camp (2 km), Stackpole Warren Hut Group (2.1 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Stackpole Earthwork

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Stackpole Earthwork'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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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Stackpole Earthwork

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