© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Woodbarn Camp is a prehistoric rath situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference PE089. A rath is a small circular or oval defended settlement characteristic of early medieval Britain and Ireland, though the form has deeper prehistoric roots. Woodbarn Camp displays the typical earthwork structure of such sites, comprising an enclosing bank and ditch that would have served both defensive and symbolic purposes for its inhabitants.
The site is founded upon Ashgill Rocks, an undifferentiated sequence of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone that forms the local bedrock geology. These fine-grained sedimentary rocks, deposited during the Ashgill period of the late Ordovician, provide a stable foundation whilst their weathered surface would have presented practical challenges for settlement construction. The underlying geology influenced not only the structural engineering of the rath but also the character of the surrounding landscape.
As a monument of its type and period, Woodbarn Camp belongs to a widespread tradition of defended settlement construction, though its specific architectural details and date of construction remain to be fully documented in the archaeological record. The site represents an important element of Wales's prehistoric and early medieval heritage, reflecting the settlement patterns and social organisation of ancient communities in the region.
Woodbarn Camp is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference PE089. View the official record →
Woodbarn Camp is a prehistoric rath situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference PE089.
Woodbarn Camp dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a rath. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Woodbarn Camp 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 PE089.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Castle Lake Camp (4.1 km), Picton Point Camp (5.5 km), Landshipping House Garden Remains (6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Woodbarn Camp'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.
Woodbarn Camp stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.