Gron Gaer

Iron Age Hillfort

Gron Gaer is a site that comprises the remains of a defended enclosure, which is likely to date to the Iron Age period, around 800 BC to AD 74, during the Roman conquest of Wales. Defended enclosures are typically located on high ground and are protected by artificial ramparts consisting of banks and ditches.

Gron Gaer is situated at an elevation of about 70m above Ordnance Datum, approximately 1 kilometer south of Pen-clawdd, on a spur that is naturally defended on the west by a sharp fall into a ravine, and to a lesser extent on the north by a re-entrant valley. There is no defence on the south, where the ground gently slopes, but the east side, where the ground rises gently, is defended by a bank that runs in a curve slightly convex to the east and is traceable for 37m. The enclosed area is approximately 0.1 hectares in size.

The bank is 10m wide at the base, nearly 2m high internally, and 1m high externally. There is a suggestion of a turn towards the west at its north end. The bank appears to be unfinished and has a curiously isolated air, indicating that the defences may not have been completed or were in a state of construction when the site was abandoned or fell out of use.

Further research and archaeological investigations may be needed to determine the exact purpose and use of Gron Gaer, as well as to understand its significance within the context of Iron Age settlement patterns and defences in the region.

Sites near Gron Gaer