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Bodafon Mountain Early Medieval Homestead is a settlement dating to the early medieval period, located in Wales and protected as a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw reference AN039. The site sits upon Lower Devonian bedrock composed of undifferentiated mudstone, siltstone and sandstone, geological strata that formed during the Early Devonian period and now underlie the mountainous terrain. This foundation of relatively soft sedimentary rock, characteristic of upland Welsh geology, would have shaped both the drainage and workability of the surrounding land available to early medieval settlers.
The homestead represents a form of domestic occupation typical of Wales during the post-Roman centuries, when dispersed farmsteads rather than nucleated villages were the dominant settlement pattern. The elevated location on Bodafon Mountain reflects the settlement strategies of early medieval communities, who often chose high ground offering visibility and pastoral potential. Archaeological evidence from similar sites of this period suggests small-scale pastoral economies focused on stock-rearing, with modest domestic structures and associated boundaries.
The monument's protection recognises the significance of early medieval settlement archaeology in Wales, a period when the landscape was being actively managed and organised by emerging Welsh kingdoms. The site contributes to understanding how communities adapted to upland terrain and maintained livelihoods in the challenging environments of early medieval Britain.
Bodafon Mountain Early Medieval Homestead is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference AN039. View the official record →
Bodafon Mountain Early Medieval Homestead is a settlement dating to the early medieval period, located in Wales and protected as a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw reference AN039.
Bodafon Mountain Early Medieval Homestead dates from the early medieval period, and is classified as a settlement. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Bodafon Mountain Early Medieval Homestead 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 AN039.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Maen Addwyn (1.7 km), Llech Golman (2.5 km), Carreg Leidr (2.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Bodafon Mountain Early Medieval Homestead's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Bodafon Mountain Early Medieval Homestead stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.