July chiaroscuro.
Images
Shattered rock strata on the northern edge of the fort.
The impressive southern rampart.
The southern rampart.
The Wye Valley Walk meets the southeastern corner of the fort.
The fort under thick summer canopy.
Hanging-out upon the cross-bank....
Western flank, looking approx north(ish). Clearly, no significant artificial defence was required here. Coflen mentions ‘scarping’, although I was pretty sure there was some stonework beneath the vegetation? Maybe not.
Within the ditch, looking approx south, bank to right (obviously)
What I took to be the original entrance (?) to approx south; the great cross-bank curves away to the left.
The defences are pretty overgrown, but for me, that merely adds to the vibe here.
The cross-bank from the ditch, again looking approx north.
The great cross-bank, looking north(ish)
Western flank looking approx south......
Arriving steeply uphill from the approx north-east...
Southwestern bank and ditch.
The rampart at the western end.
The fort from the southwest.
The well-preserved southern rampart.
The interior of the fort.
Steep, stone-strewn slopes below the northeastern side of the fort.
Tree-covered Black Cliff fort, seen across the River Wye from Shorn Cliff on a mizzly day.
Articles
Subsumed within trees at the northern apex of Black Cliff, overlooking the sinuous River Wye (Afon Gwy) to the approx north of Chepstow – not that I could see the river, but there you are – this is a fine example of an inland ‘promontory fort’, rendered all the more special by being ‘hidden in plain sight’... always the most effective camouflage, I find.
Such is the (sublime) topography here that the original inhabitants were able to concentrate the vast majority of their effort upon erecting a substantial ‘cross bank’ isolating the neck of the promontory to the southwest. Little more, save (apparently) some scarping of the natural slopes, was required elsewhere to create a first-class fortified enclosure. And to recall those Victorian mugs once tried to con society into believing our ancestors were ‘rude savages’ dragged kicking and screaming to civilisation by them damn Romans. Yeah, right. Not buying that.
I approached starting from an unclassified public track (those green dots upon the OS 1:25K map) veering off from the Penterry Farm access road, crossing open fields to ascend from the north-east. It was well worth the effort. Yeah, Chepstow may be justly famous for William FitzOsbern’s magnificent Norman castle – or the Racecourse, should one happen to be a mug punter with a thing for the gee-gees – but clearly, there is much more of interest for the more discerning Citizens Cairn in the immediate locale... most obviously at Gaer Hill, just a mile to the southwest.
Coflein description:
An oval enclosure, c.72m NW-SE by 46m, defined by a bank and ditch across the neck of its promontory to the SW, elsewhere by scarps above steep natural slopes.
Set above the looping Wye, this is but one of a number of far less obvious precursors to the magnificent Chepstow Castle...
Sites within 20km of Black Cliff
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Worgan’s Wood
photo 3 description 1 -
Gaer Hill
photo 22 description 3 link 1 -
Devil’s Lap of Stones
photo 7 description 3 -
East Vaga
photo 3 description 1 -
Lancaut
description 1 -
Piercefield Camp
photo 22 description 3 -
Oakhill Wood
photo 9 -
Chepstow Park Wood
description 1 -
Great Barnets Wood
photo 1 forum 1 description 2 -
Wibdon Broadstone
photo 5 forum 2 description 4 -
Bulwarks Camp (Chepstow)
photo 8 description 2 -
Harold’s Stones
photo 69 forum 2 description 19 -
Willis Hill
photo 3 description 3 -
Thornwell
photo 15 forum 2 description 5 -
The Longstone (St Briavels)
description 1 -
Gaer Llwyd
photo 21 description 9 link 1 -
Nuclear Stone
photo 2 description 3 -
Gaer-fawr (Usk)
description 1 -
Llanmelin Wood
photo 23 forum 1 description 4 link 1 -
Camp Hill (Aylburton)
photo 11 description 2 -
Crick Barrow
description 2 link 1 -
Oldbury Camp
photo 1 description 3 -
Clearwell Caves
photo 1 description 2 link 2 -
Heston Brake
photo 28 description 8 link 2 -
Gray Hill
photo 66 forum 7 description 6 link 2 -
Pen-Rhiw
description 2 -
St Arilda – Oldbury-on-Severn
photo 6 forum 1 description 4 -
Llanvair-Discoed
photo 4 forum 1 description 3 -
Foresters Oaks Round Barrow
photo 11 forum 1 description 2 -
Five Lanes (Caerwent)
photo 1 description 2 -
Titters Hill
photo 2 description 2 -
Sudbrook
photo 30 description 4 -
Red Hill (Elberton)
photo 1 description 2 -
Wentwood Barrows
photo 28 forum 4 description 3 -
Carrow Hill
photo 6 description 1 -
Elberton Fort
photo 4 description 3 -
Long Stone (Staunton)
photo 18 description 9 -
The Buckstone
photo 8 description 7 -
Castell Prin
description 2 -
Llanfihangel Rogiet
photo 7 description 5 link 1 -
Camp Hill (Thornbury)
description 1 link 1 -
Alveston Down
photo 2 description 1 -
Llangybi Bottom
description 2 -
Campswood Hill
description 2 -
Little Abbey Camp
description 2 -
Wilcrick Hill
photo 10 description 2 -
Camp Hill
description 1 -
Seven Sisters Rocks
photo 4 -
Middle Hendre
description 2 -
King Arthur’s Cave
photo 8 description 7 link 2 -
Almondsbury Fort
photo 1 description 3 -
Little Doward
photo 43 description 6 -
Symonds Yat
photo 38 description 4 link 1 -
The Castle, Tytherington
description 2 -
Coed-y-Caerau
description 1 -
Soudley Camp
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Bloody Acre Camp
photo 2 description 3 link 1 -
King Offa’s Tomb
photo 1 description 2 -
Stock Wood
description 3 -
Cae Camp
description 2 -
Langstone
description 4 -
Coed y Bwnydd
description 2 -
The Queen Stone
photo 11 forum 1 description 3 -
Ty-Canol
description 2