Caerfai Promontory Fort – Archaeological Nonsense

November 13, 2025 Trebor2510

Contents

1 Introduction
- - 1.0.1 Offa’s Dyke
2 Podcast
3 Author’s Biography
4 Exploring Prehistoric Britain: A Journey Through Time
5 Further Reading
6 Other Blogs

Introduction

The a repeat episode of Digging for Britain (Season 11) turns its gaze to Caerfai Promontory Fort—also called Penpleidiau—a dramatic headland just southeast of St David’s. On paper, it ticks the usual boxes of a coastal ‘hillfort’. In reality, a closer look reveals that nothing about this site behaves like a fort at all. In fact, its earthworks contradict the defensive story archaeologists keep repeating.(Caerfai Promontory Fort)

All the banks are in the wrong place for a ‘fort’

Perched on a 500-metre-long promontory with cliffs plunging 20 metres into St Bride’s Bay, Caerfai looks impressive. But the classification rests almost entirely on a pair of southern ramparts that supposedly once protected the interior. Two neatly aligned gaps on the eastern side are then assumed—without real evidence—to be the original entrances. (Caerfai Promontory Fort)

All the banks are in the wrong place for a ‘Fort’ – Caerfai promontory fort – archaeological nonsense

Things start to unravel once you examine the broader landscape. The crucial eastern sector isn’t shown on LiDAR at all, because archaeologists believe a significant portion of the headland has eroded away. Yet if half the ‘fort’ slid into the sea, why were the remaining earthworks built in positions that made no tactical sense in the first place?

Why fortify sheer cliffs? Why build higher, more exposed banks on the northern side, where an attack is least likely? None of this sits comfortably with a defensive interpretation.

LiDAR makes the ‘fort’ idea even stranger

LiDAR finally gives us the clarity the traditional model avoids. A well-cut external ditch curves from the western cliff edge around to the east, dipping noticeably deeper as it progresses. For a defensive feature, that is the wrong way around. You would expect a consistent depth—or a deeper western section, where an attacker could approach. Instead, the ditch continues beyond the supposed defensive banks, as though it had a purpose unrelated to warfare.

This inconsistent geometry is the hallmark not of a fort, but of a practical working landscape—one shaped by people who were managing boats, not armies. (Caerfai Promontory Fort)

A better explanation: Caerfai as a mooring and haulage site

Once you strip away the inherited assumptions, a far more coherent picture emerges. The layout makes perfect sense if Caerfai was never meant to be a stronghold, but a coastal facility. A cross-dyke used for mooring, hauling and sheltering boats explains:

why the ditch deepens toward the east (for controlled drainage and haulage)
why the earthworks extend beyond the ‘entrance gaps’
why the cliffs needed no defensive attention
and why the banks sit where they do—on the access side, not the seaward side

In rough weather, boats could be pulled up the slope using ropes anchored to the banks, protected from the swell and wind. When conditions improved, they could be lowered back into the water with equal ease.

This interpretation fits the broader maritime pattern emerging across prehistoric Britain: earthworks used not as military constructions, but as practical coastal installations built by seafaring communities who knew the shoreline intimately.

Caerfai is not a fort. It’s archaeological nonsense to call it one. It is, instead, another overlooked piece of Britain’s maritime prehistory—a working harbour in miniature, disguised for decades by the persistence of an outdated story. (Caerfai Promontory Fort)

Offa’s Dyke

This can be seen very clearly in our investigation into Offa’s Dyke where the promortory fort near Chepstow has a similar cross-dyke section that was once interpreted as a ‘defensive ditch’ – the problem is that it is the wrong way if it is defending against the Welsh – so can only have been a cross-dyke for boats to moor at the site.

In conclusion, the Caerfai Promontory Fort challenges the conventional ‘Hill Fort’ narrative, urging archaeologists to reconsider the purposes of coastal structures. This case study highlights the importance of questioning established interpretations and exploring alternative perspectives in archaeological studies. By unraveling the complexities of Caerfai, we gain valuable insights into the practical functions that may have shaped our ancient landscapes, ultimately enriching our understanding of the past.

(Caerfai Promontory Fort)

Podcast

Author’s Biography

Robert John Langdon, a polymathic luminary, emerges as a writer, historian, and eminent specialist in LiDAR Landscape Archaeology.

His intellectual voyage has interwoven with stints as an astute scrutineer for governmental realms and grand corporate bastions, a tapestry spanning British Telecommunications, Cable and Wireless, British Gas, and the esteemed University of London.

A decade hence, Robert’s transition into retirement unfurled a chapter of insatiable curiosity. This phase saw him immerse himself in Politics, Archaeology, Philosophy, and the enigmatic realm of Quantum Mechanics. His academic odyssey traversed the venerable corridors of knowledge hubs such as the Museum of London, University College London, Birkbeck College, The City Literature Institute, and Chichester University.

In the symphony of his life, Robert is a custodian of three progeny and a pair of cherished grandchildren. His sanctuary lies ensconced in the embrace of West Wales, where he inhabits an isolated cottage, its windows framing a vista of the boundless sea – a retreat from the scrutinous gaze of the Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, an amiable clandestinity in the lap of nature’s embrace.

Exploring Prehistoric Britain: A Journey Through Time

My blog delves into the fascinating mysteries of prehistoric Britain, challenging conventional narratives and offering fresh perspectives based on cutting-edge research, particularly using LiDAR technology. I invite you to explore some key areas of my research. For example, the Wansdyke, often cited as a defensive structure, is re-examined in light of new evidence. I’ve presented my findings in my blog post Wansdyke: A British Frontier Wall – ‘Debunked’, and a Wansdyke LiDAR Flyover video further visualizes my conclusions.

My work also often challenges established archaeological dogma. I argue that many sites, such as Hambledon Hill, commonly identified as Iron Age hillforts are not what they seem. My posts Lidar Investigation Hambledon Hill – NOT an ‘Iron Age Fort’ and Unmasking the “Iron Age Hillfort” Myth explore these ideas in detail and offer an alternative view. Similarly, sites like Cissbury Ring and White Sheet Camp, also receive a re-evaluation based on LiDAR analysis in my posts Lidar Investigation Cissbury Ring through time and Lidar Investigation White Sheet Camp, revealing fascinating insights into their true purpose. I have also examined South Cadbury Castle, often linked to the mythical Camelot56.

My research also extends to the topic of ancient water management, including the role of canals and other linear earthworks. I have discussed the true origins of Car Dyke in multiple posts including Car Dyke – ABC News PodCast and Lidar Investigation Car Dyke – North Section, suggesting a Mesolithic origin2357. I also explore the misidentification of Roman aqueducts, as seen in my posts on the Great Chesters (Roman) Aqueduct. My research has also been greatly informed by my post-glacial flooding hypothesis which has helped to inform the landscape transformations over time. I have discussed this hypothesis in several posts including AI now supports my Post-Glacial Flooding Hypothesis and Exploring Britain’s Flooded Past: A Personal Journey

Finally, my blog also investigates prehistoric burial practices, as seen in Prehistoric Burial Practices of Britain and explores the mystery of Pillow Mounds, often mistaken for medieval rabbit warrens, but with a potential link to Bronze Age cremation in my posts: Pillow Mounds: A Bronze Age Legacy of Cremation? and The Mystery of Pillow Mounds: Are They Really Medieval Rabbit Warrens?. My research also includes the astronomical insights of ancient sites, for example, in Rediscovering the Winter Solstice: The Original Winter Festival. I also review new information about the construction of Stonehenge in The Stonehenge Enigma.