1. Buckspool Camp is a complex triple ditch and bank system which cuts off a tapering cliff-girt promontory, whose summit area extends about 120m north to south and is at most 40m across; a sea cave, or arch passes under the isthmus; building platforms are recorded on the western slopes of the interior and excavations here, in 1930(?) produced a small Romano-British ceramic assemblage.

Source: Grimes 1931 (BBCS 5), 394-5.

J.Wiles 10.03.05

2. Buckspool promontory fort, also known as The Castle, is a later prehistoric site situated on the south coast of Pembrokeshire within the Castlemartin Range MOD site, a kilometre west of St Govan’s chapel. It has previously been subject to stone robbing and damage, and is under threat from coastal erosion.

The site includes three ditch and rampart features, with an external spread of limestone outcropping which may have worked as another line of natural defences. Inside there is an impressive natural limestone blow-hole, which would have been present in prehistory.

The entranceway is marked with two ditch terminals. There also appears to be the footprint of a stone building, perhaps a tower, although the site has been significantly disturbed by later activity and so positively identifying prehistoric phasing is challenging. Inside the fort there are the remains of multiple roundhouse structures, suggesting domestic use of the inner fort.

Finds of pottery from the site include sherds of Black Burnished Ware (2nd / 3rd century), oxidized ware, and an Oxford colour coat mortarium rim (probable 4th century).

Buckspool promontory fort was a key study site for the CHERISH project due to the threat of coastal erosion, exacerbated by climate change. As part of this project GNSS topographic survey was undertaken on 13/08/2020. The site was also surveyed by UAV (drone) on 13/08/2020, from which A 3D model of the site was created. This can be accessed with the following link: https://skfb.ly/owuLX

H. Genders Boyd, CHERISH, October 2022

3.

In August 2022 CHERISH installed two fixed survey markers (survey nails in a limestone boulder and road edge) near to Buckspool promontory fort. The markers and their associated location coordinates (BNG) will enable accurate monitoring and change detection of these sites going forward. Details are:

E2 Primary Station Marker - Easting: 195505.1586; Northing: 193538.1136; Height: 37.7792

E6 Secondary Control Point - Easting: 195730.5346; Northing: 193297.5313; Height: 39.8089

See CHERISH Monitoring Network - BP_E2 and BP_E6 control markers Event Report: 03/08/2022 for full details including Witness Diagrams (CHERISH Survey Report No. CH/RCAHMW 49 and Data Archive RCCS36)

Louise Barker, CHERISH - RCAHMW, December 2023

CHERISH (Climate, Heritage and Environments of Reefs, Islands and Headlands) was an EU-funded Wales-Ireland project (2017-2023) led by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, in partnership with the Discovery Programme: Centre for Archaeology and Innovation Ireland, Aberystwyth University: Department of Geography and Earth Sciences and Geological Survey, Ireland. https://cherishproject.eu/en/

Site Record

Buckspool Promontory Fort