The Bulwarks, Porthkerry facts for kids
Approach lights for Cardiff Airport runway 30 in the north section of the Bulwarks fort
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 Location in Vale of Glamorgan
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| Alternative name | The Bulwarks, Porthceri |
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| Location | Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan |
| Region | Wales |
| Coordinates | 51°23′19″N 3°19′17″W / 51.388595°N 3.321514°W |
| Type | Promontory fort |
| Length | 230 metres (750 ft) |
| Width | 120 to 250 metres (390 to 820 ft) |
| Area | 4.1 hectares (10 acres) |
| History | |
| Founded | Iron Age |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | Overgrown |
| Public access | Yes |
| Designation | NPRN 93015; ST 082664 |
The Bulwarks, Porthkerry is an ancient fort built on a piece of land that sticks out into the sea. It's located in Rhoose, in the Vale of Glamorgan, on the southern coast of Wales. From here, people could look out over the Bristol Channel.
This fort was likely first used during the Iron Age, a time when people used iron tools and weapons. It continued to be an important place even when the Romans came to Britain. Today, some of its old walls and ditches on the west side are still visible, but they are covered by lots of plants.
Where is The Bulwarks Fort?
This Iron Age fort is one of many found along the southern coast of Wales. Its location was very important because it had a great view of the Bristol Channel. The fort sits on the end of a raised area of land that faces west. It used to overlook a small river inlet called Porthkerry creek, which is now filled with mud.
The land around the fort is naturally very steep on the south, east, and north sides, making it hard for enemies to attack. However, the ground on the west side is quite flat. The southern edge of the fort is now right by the sea cliff. It's thought that there might have been defenses along this side too, but they have worn away over time due to the sea. The fort covers an area of about 4 hectares, which is roughly the size of eight football fields. You can visit the fort by going through the Porthkerry caravan park.
How Was The Fort Built?
The Bulwarks fort is shaped like a trapezoid, which is a shape with four sides where at least one pair of sides is parallel. It is about 230 meters long from north to south. The north side is about 250 meters wide, and the south side is about 120 meters wide.
Over time, the sea cliff on the south side of the fort has been slowly eroding, or wearing away. It loses about 24 centimeters of land each year. Because of this, a strip of land about 120 meters wide and 1 hectare in size has probably been lost from the fort's southern edge.
The fort's main defense was made up of three banks (like small hills) placed close together, with ditches in between them. On the west side, these banks and ditches are still in good condition and stretch about 50 meters wide in total. On the other sides, only flat areas remain where the defenses once stood.
It seems the fort had only one entrance, located in the middle of the west side. This entrance was built at a slight angle to the main walls, with openings in the banks and paths across the ditches. The inside of the fort is mostly flat and sits about 60 meters above sea level.
Who Lived at The Bulwarks?
Archaeologists have done some digging at The Bulwarks fort. Their findings suggest that people lived here from the Iron Age all the way into the Roman period. The fort was likely first used around 200 BC to 75 AD, which was before the Romans arrived in South Wales.
In 1968, a person named F. L. Davies led an excavation at the site. He found signs of three rectangular buildings just inside the main western wall. These buildings were made of wood and were built one after another. The very first building might have been from before the Romans came. The second building was used from the late 1st century AD to the middle of the 2nd century AD, and then it burned down.
After the fire, the site was covered with a layer of stone rubble. Then, a third rectangular building was put up. This building was about 3 meters wide and at least 9 meters long. It even had a porch and a doorway in its southwest corner. This third building seems to have been used until the late 3rd or 4th century AD.
Today, the old defensive walls of the fort are covered in thick plants and trees. The fort is officially recognized as an ancient monument by the government, which helps protect it.
