GM264

Cefn Morfydd Dyke & Earthwork  

 

Designated  

Neath Port Talbot  

Tonna  

278740  

198082  

Monument  

Linear Earthwork  

Early Medieval  

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument. The monument consists of the remains of a dyke, a defensive boundary or earthwork, dating to the later prehistoric/medieval period. The dyke and earthwork are situated on the north-east slop of Cefn Morfudd facing low ground to the north-west. The ends of the dyke are c. 410m apart, the middle of the dyke curving in towards the south-west. The western section comprises of a bank and ditch. The dyke is broken through at various points by tracks and watercourses. The earthwork lies approximately 90m south-west of the western end of the dyke. It is oval in shape, measuring c. 60m by c. 40m. The bank and ditch are best preserved on the eastern side and there is an entrance on the north-east. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of later prehistoric/medieval defensive organisation and settlement. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. A dyke may be part of a larger cluster of monuments and their importance can further enhanced by their group value. The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.