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[SW 3976 2218] Treryn Dinas (Cliff Castle) [O.E.]
Ditches Ditch [O.E.]
Gateway [O.E.]
Watch Houses [O.E.]
Logan Rock [O.E.] (1)
St. Levan, Treryn Dinas - Scheduled Ancient Monument. Listed
under Camps & Settlements. (2)
Treryn is a rocky promontory with a fairly flat grassy summit that
slopes away very steeply to the sea on three sides. The north
is the only side not strongly protected naturally and this has three
main lines of artificial defences.
The most northerly of these is a high well preserved rampart which is
strongest in the centre and diminshes in height as it approaches
the cliff top to the east and south west. There is an outer ditch
to this rampart for the central portions but this fades and
disappears altogether towards the extremities.
The second defensive work is about 80m. south of the first. Again
it is strongest in the centre, where there are two main ramparts.
The inner of these has been extensively robbed and now consists
of a low spread bank, with some large stones visible. On the
crest of the steep natural slopes which form the continuation
of this inner bank on the east and west sides of the promontory
are a few large stones, indicating that the natural protection
afforded by the slopes was formerly supplemented by a stone wall.
The outer work consists of inner quarry ditch, rampart and outer
ditch with a very slight counterscarp bank. These defences are
crescent shaped. Their extremities abut on to natural cliff to
the south east and onto very steep natural slopes to the south
west. Further protection is given to the south west where a
rampart and outer ditch runs to the south west to join the cliff,
just south of the western extremity of the first line of defence.
A further 200m. to the south of the second line of defence,
situated in a saddle, where the promontory becomes very narrow
and the ground slopes down very steeply, through outcropping
rocks, from the north and south, is the third line of defence. It
consists of a single bank with outer retaining wall and a ditch
to the north.
The entrances in the centres of the north and south lines of
defence are well defined. The entrance through the central defence
is now not clear but was probably just to the west of its centre whereall the ramparts are much lower.
Just east of the entrance and constructed against the south side
of the rampart is a small rectilinear enclosure, scooped into the
slope on the west and south and bounded by a bank on the east. To the
west of the entrance are traces of another rectangular feature of
similar construction but only the east and south sides remain, the
others apparently having been destroyed by cliff erosion. These two
features are the "Watch Towers" of the O.S.
This is a good example of an Iron Age Promontory Fort. It is the
property of the National Trust.
A 25 inch survey has been made. (3)
The innermost defence of Treryn Dinas consists of a stone faced
rampart and ditch with a central entrance flanked by orthostats.
Its relationship to the other defences is problematical. (4)
The middle defences are a series of three banks and ditches, the
innermost perhaps of earth and stone between orthostats and
drystone walling. The middle and outer banks appear to be of
earth. (5)
The outermost defence is a very much higher bank and ditch which
appears to be largely an earthen structure whose original
entrance is indeterminate. Because of its size it should
structurally be the latest defence, rendering the others
unnecessary.(See SW 32 SE 59) (6)
Treryn Dinas cliff castle occupies 6 ha of granite headland which
extends southwards for 500m. The northern 4 ha at about 60m OD
incorporates a wide flattish top, flanked on the W and E by steep
cliff slopes. On the S a broad band of rocks, 1 ha. in area, descend
sharply to a narrow eroded neck at 15m OD, beyond which the
promontory expands to a further 1 ha mass of high jagged outcrops.
The descriptions and measurements given by Pitcher and Weatherill
are generally correct.
The massive earthen outer rampart and its ditch have a simple
causewayed entrance. To the W of the entrance the rampart is on a
moderately steep NW slope wherby little bank material could be
obtained from the ditch. It was augmented by extracting earth
from a quarry ditch dug along the inner face of the bank for
about 100m. Previously unrecorded, the ditch is 9m wide nearest the
entrance and, with at least three separate "gand lengths", narrows
to 4.5m in width and 0.6m in depth towards the western end.
The outer rampart is in contrast with the second and third defences,
100m to the S, both low and of rubble construction with no large
facing stones. A few large blocks, up to 1m high, occur in isolation
and their constructional detail is uncertain and which, if any,
flanked an entrance which may have been on the eastern side at the
crest of the seaward slope.
The second rampart has a weak outer ditch and counterscarp bank,
with, on the inner face another ditch 4.5m wide and 0.4m deep.
Between this and the third rampart a slight natural slope 4m long
rises to the base of the rampart, a broad squat mass of rubble
with traces of an edge bank to each side of an otherwise flat
top.
Both ramparts are set out in a very sharp curve, a 75m diameter
semi-circle with the southern ends subtended upon natural slopes
and rock faces. The ends of the inner, third rampart may have
been intended to go a further 35m to the S since, as Pitcher
observed, a narrow line of small stones protrudes from the turf along
the crest of the natural slopes on both the E and W sides. On the
W the slopes are not particularly steep and may account for a straightadditional flanking arm of rampart, apparently of earth
construction which extends SW to the cliff edge from the second
rampart.
These ramparts enclose little more than 1 ha of ground which slopes
gently southwards to the broad steep band of rocks and the narrow
intrusive neck of the promontory.
The fourth rampart extends across the neck, barely 30m wide, as a
vertical wall 2m high on the northern outer face and 0.6m high on
the inner side, a revetment to a 7m wide platform of higher
ground immediately within. The wall is of well coursed stones,
mostly turf covered, with a central entrance 1.1m wide demarcated
by jambs and a 4m long inturned walled passage way. Save for an
entrance causeway the wall has a strong V-shaped outer ditch. To
the W of the entrance the ditch is against the base of the wall,
but on the E side there is a 1m wide berm between wall and ditch.
The rampart defends nothing but two slightly oval hut platforms
against the inner face and the cliffs of outcrop that form the
rest of the promontory. It is not the inner defence of a fort
but rather a separate and later defensive work. A parallel may be
drawn with Giant's Castle, St Marys, Isles of Scilly where a rampart
protects two elongated building platforms, backed by outcrop
of a small promontory. A less obvious comparison is Carn Les Boel
(SW 32 SE 7) with its weak semi-transparent but no
identifiable habitation site.
The complexity of Treen Dinas could be more properly understood
with the advantage of a larger scale plan. Survey however is
virtually impossible in its current state with a deep covering of
bramble gorse and bracken, and dense thorn concealing part of the
outer rampart.
OS 1/2500 Survey revised. (7)
SW 397 220. Treryn Dinas, (Logan Rock). Listed in gazetteer as a multivallate hillfort with widely spaced ramparts in a coastal position. Area 3.6ha. (8)
Treryn Dinas. Listed as a cliff castle. [With plan]. (9) |