Cae Camp

Iron Age Hillfort

Cae Camp comprises the remains of a hillfort, believed to date back to the Iron Age period (circa 800 BC – AD 74, during the Roman conquest of Wales). The hillfort is located on the ridge top between the Usk Valley and the Sor brook to the west. It is a small, roughly circular camp, measuring approximately 100m in diameter, with a disused quarry occupying the centre.

The fortifications consist of an inner scarp that is 2.2m high all around, except for some areas on the eastern side where it is only 1m high. On the southern side, there is a 15m wide berm outside the inner scarp, followed by another scarp that is 1.7m high. A short stretch of ditch, measuring 3m wide and 0.5m deep, is present on the outside, but it is interrupted by a road at its eastern end. Along the western side, the berm is narrower, and on the southwest side, it slopes rather than being flat. Further north, it becomes a faint ditch measuring 4m wide and 0.7m deep. The outer bank on this side is 1.8m high on the outside and forms the field boundary. The northern side is similar, with the outer bank along the hedge line, measuring 2m in height, and likely steepened as it forms the field boundary. Along the eastern side, there is an 11m wide berm, followed by an outer scarp that is 2.2m high. The field boundary (hedge) is located at the foot of the scarp, with a road to the east, which may have obliterated an outer ditch. There is a slight dip in the edge of the berm in the southeast corner, which could potentially mark the entrance. The interior of the hillfort slopes gently towards the edges, and in the middle, towards the northern end, there is an irregularly-shaped old quarry that is up to 3m deep.

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