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Bwlch-yr-Oerfa Settlement is a medieval grange situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CD149. The site occupies land underlain by Llandovery Rocks, a Silurian formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone that provides the basic geological character of this upland terrain. Granges of this period were typically working agricultural establishments operated by monastic communities or their lay tenants, serving as centres for wool production, stock management and surplus grain storage.
The settlement's location on Llandovery bedrock reflects the challenging conditions of medieval highland farming, where heavy soils and exposed moorland required substantial labour and organisation. The thin, poorly draining soils developed over these mudstones and siltstones would have supported rough pasture rather than arable cultivation, making this an ideal location for a pastoral grange focused on sheep and cattle husbandry.
Though now fragmentary, the physical remains of Bwlch-yr-Oerfa preserve evidence of medieval settlement patterns in upland Wales. The grange represents the infrastructure through which monastic and manorial estates extended their economic reach into marginal lands, converting rough grazing into productive assets through systematic management and communal labour.
Bwlch-yr-Oerfa Settlement is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CD149. View the official record →
Bwlch-yr-Oerfa Settlement is a medieval grange situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CD149.
Bwlch-yr-Oerfa Settlement dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a grange. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Bwlch-yr-Oerfa Settlement 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 CD149.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Standing Stone c.250m NNE of Llethr (5.1 km), Cairn S of Banc y Geufron (6.6 km), Cwm Rhydol settlement (7.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Bwlch-yr-Oerfa Settlement'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.
Bwlch-yr-Oerfa Settlement stands on Llandovery Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Llandovery. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.