An 'old fort' was first recorded at Lluest y Trafle by Lewis Morris on his 1745 'Mannor of Perverth' map showing mines and other landscape features and antiquities. However, despite some ground observations by the author there did not appear to be any artificial (man-made) banks on this remote hilltop; rather, one or two prominent banks, apparently of natural origin, appeared to look very similar to prehistoric ramparts when viewed from the valley below, particularly from Pen y Castell hillfort (303595) to the west; however, they appeared too shapeless and poorly defined to be artificial constructions.

However, reappraisal of the site has now been possible from vertical aerial photographs and - more recently - airborne laser scanning data or LiDAR flown by the Environment Agency. This data shows the fine topography of the hilltop, and shows that the banks are indeed an artificial univallate rampart and partial outer ditch describing a near-complete oval circuit. The site can now be seen to be a partly denuded hillfort measuring 139m by 159m. The fort is not hugely monumental for its entire circuit. Instead the hillfort has ramparts to the west, north and east with occasional breaks to the north-east and south where the steepness of the slope made a rampart impractical. The LiDAR data shows the cross-section of the ditch and bank on the west side to measure 14m across.

This remote site on a high, domed summit with little monumentality to the ramparts shares similarities to Castell Rhyfel (NPRN 303624) to the south, near Tregaron, and both may be interpreted as Late Bronze Age settlements or ceremonial focii.

T. Driver, RCAHMW, 2013.