Crawley Rocks, Nicholston Burrows
Iron Age Hillfort
Crawley Rocks, Nicholston Burrows is a small promontory fort located in Crawley Woods above Nicholaston Burrows on the Gower Peninsula, overlooking Oxwich Bay and Oxwich Point. It is situated on a south-facing limestone outcrop near the inlet and possible landing place of Nicholaston Pill. The surrounding slopes are steep on the north, east, and west sides, and very steep on the south side.
The fort was first recorded in 1949, but it is suggested by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW) as possibly medieval, dating to the 12th century AD. However, a sherd of Late Iron Age pottery was found by Rutter in 1948, indicating that the site may have earlier origins.
The fort is roughly oblong in shape, with two earth and stone ramparts and two ditches running for 35m across the neck of the promontory on the north side, enclosing an area of approximately 0.1 hectares. The outer bank is 7m wide and 1.3m high, with an external ditch visible only to the northwest, while the rest of the ditch has been lost due to modern field boundaries. The inner bank is approximately 1m high and 8.5m wide, separated from the external bank by another ditch. The total width of the defenses is 22m.
The site is densely overgrown with trees and scrub, and is depicted on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map from 1879.
Sites near Crawley Rocks, Nicholston Burrows
- Church Hill Roman Temple (3 km)
Suspected Romano-british Temple Or Shrine - Maiden Castle, Oxwich (3 km)
Iron Age Hillfort - Willoxton Cwm (3 km)
Iron Age Hillfort - Reynoldston Camp (4 km)
Iron Age Hillfort - Cilifor Top (5 km)
Iron Age Hillfort - Berry Wood (5 km)
Iron Age Hillfort - Bishopston Valley Camp (5 km)
Iron Age Hillfort - High Pennard (5 km)
Iron Age Hillfort - Stembridge Hillfort (6 km)
Iron Age Hillfort - Llanddewi, Port Eynon (6 km)
Iron Age Hillfort