Hillforts
Most Hillforts in Britain, and indeed Wales were constructed in the Iron Age, the earliest enclosures named as such come from the Neolithic period, with a few also dating to the later Bronze Age. Some of these were apparently abandoned in the southern areas that were a part of Roman Britain, although at the same time, those areas of northern Britain that remained free from Roman occupation saw an increase in their construction. Some hillforts were reused in the Early Medieval period, and in some rarer cases, into the Later Medieval period as well. A good example is Caerau hillfort on the edge of Cardiff, which has medieval remains and a surviving, but ruined church, only abandoned in recent years. By the Early Modern period these had essentially all been abandoned, with many being excavated by archaeologists in the nineteenth century onward.
Just outside Cwmbran in South East Wales, the Twmbarlwm is presumed to be an Iron Age hill fort, believed to have been built by the Silures, the Celtic tribe that inhabited the area before and during Roman times. These remains have led the local people of Risca and Cwmcarn to call it "The tump". There was also thereafter possibly a Roman signal point and a substantial Norman motte and bailey castle which is incorporated into the eastern end of the fort, probably of early Norman construction.
There are around 3,300 structures that can be classed as hillforts or similar "defended enclosures" within Britain, with a large proportion here in Wales. We have tried to include all defended enclosures in our project, however the term enclosure often refers to ancient animal pens or sacred sites and it is not always possible to distinguish. Most of these are clustered in certain regions: south and south-west England, the west coast of Wales and Scotland, the Welsh marches and the Scottish border hills. British hillforts varied in size, with the majority covering an area of less than 1 ha (3 acres), but with most others ranging from this up to around 12 ha (30 acres) in size. In certain rare cases, they were bigger, with a few examples being over 80 ha (200 acres) in size.
Various archaeologists operating in Britain have criticised the use of the term "hillfort" both because of its perceived connection to fortifications and warfare and because not all such sites were actually located on hills. Leslie Alcock believed that the term "enclosed places" was more accurate, whilst J. Forde-Johnston commented on his preference for "defensive enclosures".
