thesweetcheat

The rampart is clothed with bluebells at this May visit. Looking towards Martin’s Haven.

Looking along the single rampart from its southern end. The white building on the highest point of the fort interior (left) is a coastguard lookout station.

Deer Park from the southeast. A single, very substantial rampart cuts off a large interior, which must be about 50 acres.

With Gateholm Island beyond.

The western end of the inner ditch.

The narrow ditch between the two banks.

The seemingly uneroded fort interior.

Inner and outer ramparts.

Little freshwater stream running along the southeastern boundary of the site.

The well-defined double ramparts, seen from the southeast.

Marloes Bay Rath occupies the flat cliff top ahead. The ramparts can be seen on the right. The interior is surprisingly clear and spacious, seemingly unaffected by the coastal erosion that has reduced most of the forts on this coastline.

From the cliffs near Marloes Bay Rath cliff fort.

Showing the nice flat plateau on the island’s top, and the huge cliffs making access difficult, even at low tide.

Gateholm Island (right of centre) from cliffs above Marloes Sands – at near high tide, so not much sand in evidence. Skokholm Island on the horizon to the left.

The weird two-level fort, with the dropped southern half on the left.

The southern half of the fort, dropped by a landslip and settled far below the northern half.

The western interior of the fort, dropping steeply to Westdale Bay.

Did I mention that the ramparts are MASSIVE?

The massive inner rampart.

The inner rampart.

A serious landslip has turned the northern half of the two ramparts into great meringue peaks, while the southern section now lies below on the left. Skokholm Island on the horizon.

Great Castle Head (centre), seen from the neighbouring Iron Point. Skomer and Gateholm Islands can be seen far left skyline, beyond Hooper’s Point.

Inside the fort.

The interior of the enclosure/fort. Skokholm on the skyline.

Ditch and bank, looking SSW.

The single low earthwork bank with external ditch. Not the most impressive of the many earthworks on this stretch of coast, but a lovely setting.

The crumbling cliffs forming the southern extent of the site. The islands on the skyline are Skokholm (centre) and Skomer (right).

Seen from the southwest across Frenchman’s Bay. The fort/enclosure can be seen as a raised feature, centre of image.

Seascape context, Castles Bay fort and Sheep Island can be seen over on the left skyline. The viewpoint is Mill Bay on the Dale peninsula, famously the place where Henry Tudor landed with his troops in 1485, on his way to meeting Richard III at Bosworth Field.

The prominent coastal setting seen across Castlebeach Bay to the south.

The single entrance into the fort through the ramparts.

The view over the southern interior of the fort towards the ramparts.

The western tip of the promontory is occupied by a substantial Victorian fort, evidence of the long period of strategic importance of the sites on the Pembrokeshire coast.

Looking south from the ramparts over Castlebeach Bay to Watwick Point.

Looking north across Dale Roads, ramparts in the foreground.

The overgrown double bank cutting off the promontory.

The commanding view from the north side of the fort over the natural harbour of Dale Roads. The next cliff fort along the coast is highlighted.

Sadly time to leave, as the next wave of rain gets a bit close for comfort.

The unusual valley setting of the Quoit.

Stone near the Quoit with deep parallel grooves.