Scheduled MonumentsWalesTwyn Llechfaen Hillfort
Prehistoric · Hillfort

Twyn Llechfaen Hillfort

Breconshire, Wales
Cadw SAM BR247
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Hillfort
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM BR247
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1998-12-07
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Twyn Llechfaen Hillfort is a prehistoric fortified settlement in Wales, constructed on bedrock of Lower Devonian rocks comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed during the Early Devonian period. The site exploits the natural topography of this ancient geology to create a defensible position. As a hillfort, it represents a significant phase of prehistoric settlement and organisation in Wales, when such elevated fortifications became focal points for community life, storage and protection.

The monument sits within a landscape shaped by Devonian geology, where the underlying sedimentary rocks would have influenced both the hill's form and the availability of building stone for the fortification's defences. Hillforts of this type typically date to the Iron Age, though some may have earlier origins or later reoccupation. Their construction required considerable communal effort, indicating organised societies with the resources to mobilise labour and the social structures to coordinate large-scale building works.

Twyn Llechfaen Hillfort is protected and scheduled as an ancient monument under Cadw, the Welsh Historic Monuments service, with reference BR247. This legal protection recognises its importance to understanding prehistoric Welsh society, settlement patterns and the relationship between human communities and their natural environment. The site remains a significant archaeological and historical resource within its landscape.

Twyn Llechfaen Hillfort is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR247. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Twyn Llechfaen Hillfort?

Twyn Llechfaen Hillfort is a prehistoric fortified settlement in Wales, constructed on bedrock of Lower Devonian rocks comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed during the Early Devonian period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference BR247.

What period does Twyn Llechfaen Hillfort date from?

Twyn Llechfaen 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 Twyn Llechfaen Hillfort?

Twyn Llechfaen 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 BR247.

What other scheduled monuments are near Twyn Llechfaen Hillfort?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Early Medieval Cross in St Brynach’s Church, Llanfrynach (3.4 km), Coed y Caerau Camp (5.3 km), Coed y Brenin Enclosure (5.4 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Twyn Llechfaen Hillfort

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

Twyn Llechfaen Hillfort stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Twyn Llechfaen Hillfort

KenchesterRoman town · ~23.7 miles