CPAT HER Description :
SUB-RECTANGULAR 2 DITCHED ENCLOSURE SOME 35M E-W BY 13M N-S INTERNALLY. PROB ENTRANCE AT SE CORNER. SITED ON SE POINTING SPUR. FORMERLY NOTED AS RINGMOTTE BY Savory, H N, 1952-03 BUT PROB AN IRON AGE HILLSLOPE ENCLOSURE.

The site measures about 39m N/S by 30m, is roughly oval in shape with an external bank and an internal ditch. The bank is about 5m wide and the ditch is 7m wide. There is some internal damage at SN 8625 3688, possibly military disruption. On the south and west faces there is an external ditch and the east face has been cut by the road. There is a simple entrance in the south face with a hollow way heading south into the valley. The existing road runs parallel to this. Further disturbance in the southeast corner is military in origin (Boucher, A & Crooks, K, 2000).

An unusual feature is an internal ditch which is 4m wide and runs around the inner edge of the bank, thus making the level interior small in comparison with the defences. The fact the inner bank is complete and cmparatively uniform suggests it may well be original rather than a later disturbance. (Cadw 1994)

Scheduled (Cadw 2000)

RCAHMW: a small, oval univallate enclosure stands at 30.7m above 0D on the edge of a moderate SE facing slope overlooking the headwaters of Nant y Oresglen, 6.8km N o fLlywel. The position is defensively weak as the site is overlooked by higher ground on three sides. To the SE the land falls sharply and dissected by streams. On the S the ditch forms a stream course and elsewhere a boggy hollow.

The enclosure measures internally 44m NW to SE by 29m, an area of 0.09ha. The interior consists of a gently sloping platform 36m long NW to SE by up to 18m wide. Its surface is separated from the rampart on all sides except the SE by a depression between 0.6m and 1.2m deep. Although some material may have been added to the platform it is probably a largely natural surface made more prominent by excavation around its edges, which was the probable source of material for the earth and stone rampart. The latter is most prominent on the W where its inner and outer scarps are respectively up to 2.1 m and 3m high. Elsewhere the outer scarp is between 1.2m and 1.9m high while on the SE the inner scarp is as low as 0.5m high. The ditch is 2.9m deep on the W but becomes shallower eastwards being about 1.6m deep at the SE
corner. There is a low counterscarp bank up to 0.8m high opposite the E rampart. The most likely position for the entrance is at the SE corner where stream erosion has obscured the details. No ancient features are visible on the internal platform (1986, 22).

CPAT 2007: the site has good views over the valley to the SE and E, and the valley sides beyond. It is
as the RCAHMW says overlooked from the NW and NE, but to the SW the ground is level. Nevertheless it is not a defensive location. Of the earthwork itself, it is more D-shaped than oval; the outer ditch is impressive on the W and S, but around the N it has been superseded by the track that curves around the earthwork. The interior has now largely been clearly of any trees formerly there. The site is curious for its morphology. The large inner 'ditch' is hardly typical of late prehistoric enclosures. Could it be of another date entirely? (CPAT Defended Enclosures in Brecknock Project 2007).


Sources :
Hogg, A H A & King, D J C , 1963 , Early Castles in Wales and the Marches , Archaeologia Cambrensis : 112 : 77-124
King, D J C , 1961 , The castles of Breconshire , Brycheiniog : 7 : 1-90
Rees, W , 1932 , South Wales and the Border in the 14th century
Savory, H N , 1952 , Pipton Long Cairn? , The Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies : 14 : 166-168
Boucher, A & Crooks, K , 2000 , AFTC Sennybridge Archaeological Survey
Welsh Office Ancient Monuments Branch , 1981 , Schedule of Ancient Monuments in Wales
Cadw , 1994 , Cadw Field Monument Wardens Report - Br032(POW)
Cadw , 1988 , Cadw Field Monument Wardens Report - Br032(POW)
Cadw , 2000 , Cadw Field Monument Wardens Report - Br032(POW)
Welsh Office Ancient Monuments Branch , 1980 , Scheduling map - Br032(POW)
Welsh Office Ancient Monuments Branch , 1985 , Scheduling map - Br032(POW)
Ordnance Survey , 1964 , OS map
Ordnance Survey , 1976 , OS record card SN83NE 1
DAT , 1976 , title unknown - Clawdd Brythonig Hillfort