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Image of Caeau Enclosure, Cockit Hill (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

The obscure enclosure (arrowed) from the south-western ridge of Mynydd Troed. The Mynydd Llangorse promontory fort occupies the right hand extremity of the ridge above. The Brecon Beacons top the lot... Apologies for the rain splodge, by the way.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Caeau Enclosure, Cockit Hill (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Looking from Mynydd Troed, the Caeau enclosure commanding Cwm Sorgwm is visible extreme centre right of image. The Bronze Age cairn-endowed Pen Allt-mawr crowns the left horizon.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone

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Caeau Enclosure, Cockit Hill
Hillfort

A small, wonderfully sited (from an aesthetic point of view, anyway) hillfort of presumably Iron Age origin set upon Cockit Hill, below the north-eastern flank of Mynydd Llangorse.

Commanding beautiful Cwm Sorgwm, it itself is completely dominated by mountainous high ground to the east (where Mynydd Troed rises to c2,000ft) and the west. Since there are also the remains of a promontory fort upon Mynydd Llangorse (at SO16032774), my assumption is that this enclosure was sited to control valley traffic and not to resist determined, sustained attack, the inhabitants retreating to the higher site in this eventuality.

Coflein defines the hillfort thus: ‘an enclosure, c.30m by 40m, has been levelled into a hillslope, being defined by a bank, except facing uphill, where there is only scarping.‘

Not subject to a Gladman visit as yet – since the lure of surrounding ridges has proved the stronger to date – this lovely little site is on the ever expanding list. Note that there are the remains of a chambered cairn nearby at the bwlch and a standing stone south of Mynydd Llangorse summit at SO15782544, above Cwm Shenkin.

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