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Bonvilston Gaer

Hillfort

Nearest Town:Cowbridge (6km WSW)
OS Ref (GB):   ST06357474 / Sheet: 170
Latitude:51° 27' 48.01" N
Longitude:   3° 20' 53.71" W

Added by CARL


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Visited 23.4.11
A beautiful sunny morning and I was up at the crack of dawn – well, 6.30am anyway.
Out the door by 7.00am and parking up in a minor lane north of the village of Bonvilston by 7.30am.
Parking was difficult and this minor road was surprisingly busy – even at this time of the morning. I eventually found a place to pull in, where the lane is a little wider, a little further north next to The Cherries house.
Walking back down the lane you will see Highlands House on your right and a grass track running alongside it. Follow the grass track (it is a public right of way) and you come to two stiles near some farm buildings. Go over the left hand side stile, across the field and over the next double stile. The Hillfort is in amidst the trees on your right – behind the barbed wire fence.
Walking across the field was wonderful; with the sun on my back, the moon still in the sky in front and the only thing for company being a white horse wondering what I was up to.
Jumping over the fence I was confronted by a carpet of bluebells – literally covering the entire woodland floor – I have never seen such a concentration before. I was loath to walk over them and access into the interior was difficult due to the tress, bushes and brambles.
From what I could tell the single rampart was about 2.5 metres high – certainly above head height when stood in the ditch. There also appeared to be a smaller outer rampart / ditch near to the fence line – approx 0.5 metre high.
All in all a very pleasant way to spend an hour although there isn't a huge amount to see and I certainly wouldn't recommend travelling any distance to see the Hillfort.

Coflein describes the site:
A sub-oval enclosure, c.62m NW-SE by 40m, defined by a single rampart, set within a second, ditched, but otherwise similar circuit, defining a rather more irregular area, c.130m by 98m. Both circuits have N-facing entrances.
Posted by CARL
13th May 2011ce
Edited 2nd September 2012ce