Worms Head Promontory Fort

Iron Age Hillfort

Worm’s Head is a promontory located on the coast, which comprises the remains of a defended enclosure that likely dates to the Iron Age period (c. 800 BC – AD 43). The enclosure is part of a defensive circuit and is separated from the mainland by one or more ramparts placed across the neck of the promontory. The inner summit of Worm’s Head can be reached along a causeway of natural rock during low tide for a few hours each side.

On the summit of Worm’s Head, there are traces of a low terrace and a stone rampart along the approximate line of the 30-meter contour, enclosing an area of about 0.6 hectares. The enclosed area is approximately 203 meters in length and 43 meters wide at its widest point. The defences of the enclosure consist of a scarp and the remains of the rampart, which are about 1 meter high and 3 to 4 meters wide. The enclosure backs on to the sea cliff along its long north-eastern side, and it is distinctively different from the bank and ditch promontory forts typically found in Gower, suggesting unique characteristics for Worm’s Head.

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