More information : (SJ 267 226) Camp (NR) (SJ 269 225) Intrenchments (NR) (1)
(SJ 265 221) The southern end of the hill (roughly the part in Montgomeryshire) is defined by the innermost rampart of an Iron Age
camp which encloses more than 140 acres. Two inturned entrances can
be seen on the north and north-east. On these two, and in places
three, additional ramparts can be traced. (2-3)
The western defences of Llanymynech Hill, and the whole of the outlier on Blodwell Rock (SJ 22 SE 8) were formerly thought to be part of Offa's Dyke. See annotated plan. (4)
The hillfort remains roughly as depicted in the plan by Fox and Hemp.
Published survey (25") revised. (5)
A promontory fort enclosing the fourth largest area of any hillfort in England and Wales. (6)
A multi-vallate Iron Age hillfort occupies Llanymynech Hill. The hill rises south-westwards, and is bounded on the north-west and south-east sides, and around the south-west end, by very steep, or precipitous, limestone screes or cliffs. Comparatively gentle slopes fall away to the north-east and east. The earthworks enclose an area of undulalting ground measuring 1100.0m north-east to south-west, by 650.0m transversely, and roughly oval in plan. Along the north-west side is a single earth-and-stone rampart, later incorporated into
Offa's Dyke, which is 5.0m in width, and in height, is 0.7m.
internally, and up to 3.0m externally. It is topped by a probably -
19th century stone wall. It turns south to run around the head of a
re-entrant of less-steep slopes on the south-west, and terminates at
Asterley Rocks, a line of high natural cliffs. These cliffs extend
along the south and south-east sides, and where they give way to the
gentle east-facing slopes, the earthworks reappear, comprising four
ramparts with outer ditches. These, with the exception of the inner
rampart, terminate at the steep slopes of the north-west side. The
ramparts are from 10.0 to 14.0m. in width, and in height, are from 1.0 to 2.0m. externally, 0.3 to 1.0m. internally. The defences across these slopes are up to 10.0m. in depth. There are two original entrances. On the north, is an inturned entrance some 6.0m. wide, through the inner rampart, and there is a secondary, 2.0m wide, inturned entrance on the north-west, through a short length of
additional inner rampart with ditch, constructed to cover a break in the principal rampart. A golf course occupying much of the hillfort interior has lately been extended across the north-east defences, which in places have been reduced and spread and put under turf.
Published 1:2500 survey 1974, correct. (7)
A Roman bronze boar was found in the hillfort. It is fairly classical and possibly of military origin; Legio XX Valeria Victrix was in the area and had the boar as their emblem. (8)
SJ 265 220. Llanymynech Hill. Listed in gazetteer as a multivallate hillfort covering 56.0ha. (9)
Scheduled. Blodwell Rock camp (see record 66013) and parts of Llanymynech Hill camp. For the designation record of this site please see The National Heritage List for England. (10-10a)
SJ267227. Excavations revealed a third, unsuspected rampart between the inner and outer defences. Its badly destroyed remains, comprising a dump of limestone blocks, c 2.8m wide, were set into a slight scoop in the hillside, overlying an earlier wall of igneous stone. There was no evidence for any associated ditch, suggesting haste in its construction, to be connected perhaps with the additum vallum described by Tacitus in the context of the final battle against Caratacus. (11)
SJ 2606 2207. Part of the rampart, around the south western side of the hillfort, is visible as an earthwork on aerial photogrpahs and has been mapped by RCHME's Marches Uplands Mapping Project. This portion of the hillfort defences is 650m long, and was later incorporated into Offa's Dyke. (12-13) |