COYGAN

GRID REFERENCE: SN 284092

AREA IN HECTARES: 28.61

Historic Background

This small Carboniferous Limestone out-lying hill is characterised by its archaeology and modern industry. Cave deposits examined in the 19th- and 20th-century and containing evidence from the Palaeolithic period and more recent periods testifies to the archaeological importance of the area. The cave has now been destroyed by quarrying, as has the Iron Age fort that lay on the summit of the hill. Excavations on the fort in the early 1960s (Wainwright 1967) revealed a wealth of evidence for prehistoric, Roman and Dark Age occupation of the site. Limestone  quarrying, which has now removed the greater part of the hill, was well under way in the early 19th-century when a tramway was built to link the works with a newly constructed quay 2 km to the east. The tithe map of 1841 (Llansadurnen parish) records five lime kilns at the base of the hill. As noted above, the area is now dominated by a large quarry.

Base map reproduced from the OS map with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office, © Crown Copyright 2001.
All rights reserved. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Licence Number: GD272221

Description and essential historic landscape components

This is a distinct historic landscape area and consists of a Carboniferous Limestone outlier, which forms a hill rising from reclaimed marsh, at sea level, to over 60m. The whole is now dominated by a large, modern limestone quarry. This has removed the summit of the hill and most of its eastern flanks. The remainder of the hill is now covered with scrub and rough ground.

The recorded archaeology has been noted above.

There are no distinctive buildings.

Though characterised by its archaeology, this historic landscape area is distinctive and contrasts with the reclaimed marsh to the south and enclosed farmland on other sides.