1. A cliff-girt coastal promontory, about 200m east-west by 130m, bounded by an east-facing approximately 80m stone wall or rampart, Clawdd-y-Milwyr, fronted by two further walls, thought to be later: in the restricted level area within the wall are the remains of at least six circular structures, resembling an unenclosed settlement group, whilst upon the craggy highest point is a possible cairn (at SM72212790); the internal settlement cluster was explored in 1898 producing a limited finds assemblage, possibly indicative of occupation in the Roman period.
Association with field system to east (Nprn24364) is uncertain.

Sources: Baring Gould et al. 1899 (AC16 - 5th series), 105-131
James 1982 'Roman West Wales', 37-8
Murphy 2001 (PPS67), 85-99.

2. Clawdd y Milwyr promontory fort, St David's Head. On this battered, rounded headland, mostly comprising bare rock and washed by winter storms, an Iron Age promontory fort was constructed containing up to eight stone-built round houses on a saddle of ground. Six were excavated in 1898 by Rev. S. Baring Gould, the year before he investigated Foel Trigarn on Mynydd Preseli. Clearing the floors, he discovered spindle-whorls, used in weaving, pottery and blue glass beads, suggesting occupation in the Late Iron Age and Romano-British periods. More modern research has also suggested that fortifications like this could have far earlier origins, in the Neolithic or Bronze Ages (RCAHMW, 915505.13). The promontory fort was defended from the mainland by three ramparts built of rubble and substantial boulders, pierced by a passageway. The new survey identified a great defensive wall built inland, some distance away, cutting off about 25 hectares of the western headland (seen here crossing bottom left to top right). It appears to have been sited defensively, following key contours, and also has a central gateway. The suggestion is that this is an outer defence for Clawdd y Milwyr, turning it from a small promontory fort to one component of a massively defended headland (RCAHMW, 97-cs-0228). Extract from: Driver, T. 2007. Pembrokeshire, Historic Landscapes from the Air, RCAHMW., pages 95-98, & Figures 141 & 143.

3. 2006 description of the site: Located at approximately 35m above sea level, Clawdd y Milwyr, on the tip of St David's Head is a classic promontory fort. It is defended by a multivallate defensive system, which lies on the western side of a shallow saddle, from which land to the north and south falls away steeply in narrow gullies to cliff-tops and the sea. Immediately within the defences on the west side is an extensive outcrop of bare rock, while to the east the land rises steadily and gently.

The main component of the defensive system is in inner rubble bank, now mostly covered with vegetation, but with bare stone exposed on the eastern flank and around the entrance. The bank survives to a maximum of 2.2m high and c. 10m wide. Wall-faces of three to four courses of dry-stone masonry can be seen towards the northern end of the bank exterior and in the entrance passageway, indicating a passageway width of 2.1m. There is not surface evidence to indicate anything other than a simple entrance. A ditch c. 0.5m deep and 4m wide lies outside the main bank, then a earth stone bank up to 1m high and 4m wide. It is uncertain whether this is a counterscarp, or some other component of the defences. It has no ditch outside it, but 4m -5m from it is a third bank. This has the appearance of a boulder-faced hedge-bank. However, it does seem to be a defensive component as at the entrance the boulders curve in to flank an entrance track-way. A spread of boulders 25m - 30m east of the defences may be a chevaux-de-frise, although none are placed upright and they seem to be a natural spread of stones left by the fort's builders.

The area enclosed by the defences is c. 3.4ha, but very little of this is suitable for occupation; most is bare rock and the western end is washed by the sea. A sloping grassy shelf 50m by 30m provides the only suitable location for dwellings. Seven, possibly eight, stone-built roundhouses lie here. Each house lies on a terrace cut into the slope and is defined by numerous earth-fast boulders. The houses are circular or sub-circular and measure from 8.0m to 9.8m diameter. Six houses were excavated by Baring Gould in 1898. He recognised floors and heaths in the houses and found pottery, blue glass beads, spindle whorls and stone artefacts - all consistent with a Romano-British date.

The major elements of this site are detectable through remote sensing and the topography and geology lend themselves to the detection of erosion and loss. However, apart from visitor erosion around the entrance, this fort seems to be, and has been, in a stable condition.

Reference:
Page, M., Barker, L., Driver, T. and Murphy, K. 2008. Remote sensing and the Iron Age coastal promontory forts of Pembrokeshire, Archaeology in Wales 48, 27-38.