Scheduled MonumentsWalesBlackwood Enclosure
Prehistoric · Enclosure

Blackwood Enclosure

Wales
Cadw SAM MG239
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Enclosure
Broad class
Monument
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM MG239
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1996-03-01
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Blackwood Enclosure is a prehistoric enclosure located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference MG239. The monument sits upon bedrock of Wenlock age, comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formations that underlie much of the surrounding landscape. These Silurian-period rocks, laid down in ancient marine environments, would have been exposed and weathered by the time the enclosure was constructed, providing the geological foundation for human settlement and activity at this location.

The enclosure represents a form of prehistoric land use and territorial demarcation characteristic of the prehistoric period in Britain and Wales. Such monuments typically served multiple purposes, from stock management to seasonal gathering places or defended settlements, though the specific function of Blackwood Enclosure cannot be determined without excavation evidence.

The site's preservation within the Wenlock bedrock landscape places it within a distinctive geological setting that characterises much of mid Wales. The soils derived from these mudstone and siltstone parent materials would have influenced the character of vegetation and pasture available to prehistoric communities, shaping patterns of settlement and land use across the region.

Blackwood Enclosure is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MG239. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Blackwood Enclosure?

Blackwood Enclosure is a prehistoric enclosure located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference MG239.

What period does Blackwood Enclosure date from?

Blackwood Enclosure dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a enclosure. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Blackwood Enclosure?

Blackwood Enclosure is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is MG239.

What other scheduled monuments are near Blackwood Enclosure?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Great Cloddiau Camp (8 km), Camp Pen-y-Gelli (revealed by aerial photography) (8 km), Camp SW of Great Cloddiau Farm (revealed by aerial photography) (8.1 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Blackwood Enclosure

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Blackwood Enclosure's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Blackwood Enclosure

Blackwood Enclosure stands on Wenlock Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Blackwood Enclosure

Offa's DykeArchaeological site · ~9.8 miles