The Bulwark

Nearest town:
Burry Port (8km NNW)
OS reference:
SS443928
OS sheet:
159
Latitude:
51° 36' 43 N
Longitude:
4° 14' 56.28 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of The Bulwark (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

The main bank, looking approx east along the northern Gower coastline.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Apr 25, 2015
Image of The Bulwark (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

The multivallate configuration of banks ...

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Apr 25, 2015
Image of The Bulwark (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Substantial defences.... but the siting does not concur with modern military thinking. Methinks defence was not the only consideration taken into account here.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Apr 25, 2015
Image of The Bulwark (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

The SW corner of the ramparts. The biggest cairn of the dozen or so on Llanmadoc Hill is visible on the high point far left (above the horse).

Image credit: A. Brookes (29.12.2014)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Feb 8, 2015
Image of The Bulwark (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

Looking SE along the southern rampart. The prominent hill on the skyline is Cefn Bryn, crowned by Maen Ceti chambered tomb.

Image credit: A. Brookes (29.12.2014)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Feb 8, 2015
Image of The Bulwark (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

The impressive southern ramparts. The northern tip of Rhossili Down can be seen far left.

Image credit: A. Brookes (29.12.2014)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Feb 8, 2015
Image of The Bulwark (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

A single bank and ditch suffices on the north, where the steep slopes of the hill provide natural defence.

Image credit: A. Brookes (29.12.2014)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Feb 8, 2015
Image of The Bulwark (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

Looking down on the NW ramparts from the outer western bank.

Image credit: A. Brookes (29.12.2014)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Feb 8, 2015
Image of The Bulwark (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

The outermost bank on the west. It doesn’t appear to connect to the rest of the fort so is more like a cross-dyke. Looking over the Loughor/Lwchwr estuary, towards Pembrey on the Carmarthenshire coast.

Image credit: A. Brookes (29.12.2014)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Feb 8, 2015
Image of The Bulwark (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Winter sunset upon the substantial western defences, looking approx north.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Feb 5, 2012
Image of The Bulwark (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Towards Rhossili Down and the Sweyne Howes chambers.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jan 31, 2012
Image of The Bulwark (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Looking from what I took to be a powerful cross dyke protecting the western approach... then again – looking at the map – it could be an unfinished, additional outer bank serving much the same purpose?

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jan 31, 2012
Image of The Bulwark (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

The multivallate southern flank, looking very approx west

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jan 31, 2012
Image of The Bulwark (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

Not the sort of posing the Mam C perhaps dreamed of as a girl ... but thanks for emphasising the powerful nature of the main bank.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jan 31, 2012
Image of The Bulwark (Hillfort) by broen

11/4/04
View of fort looking south with the workmen in the foreground

Image credit: broen
broen
broen Apr 14, 2004
Image of The Bulwark (Hillfort) by broen

11/4/04
View a section of the fort and looking North over the river

Image credit: broen
broen
broen Apr 14, 2004

Articles

The Bulwark

broen
broen Apr 13, 2004

11/4/04
You can park in Llanmadoc and walk up the hill to the fort which according to GPS is 350m but seems alot further walking up hill.
Once at the top the fort has astounding views to the North and North West of Broughton Bay and Whitford point and across the delta of Afon Llwchwrthe to the Pembrookshire coastline.
There is also (I assume) a cairn about 100 yards to the west of the fort very similar to the cairn adjacent to Maen Cetty (Arthurs Stone).
The ditches are substantial and the fort is roughly circular in shape.
*NB, one of the road workers at the bottom of the hill said it was an iron age structure.

Miscellaneous

The Bulwark
Hillfort
Kammer
Kammer May 28, 2003

I’ve not visited this site, but apparently it’s an oval shaped Iron Age defence, of about 0.9 hectares. It has an inner bank and ditch as well as an outer bank and ditch which is incomplete (and may have never been finished).

For some reason the fort doesn’t stand at the summit of the hill, but on the ground sloping away from it looking out towards Cheriton. This makes no sense in defensive terms, so it’s a bit of a mystery.

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