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Castell 585m NW of Pen-y-Rhiw is a medieval enclosure situated in Wales and protected as a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw reference CD073. The site occupies ground underlain by Llandovery Rocks, a combination of interbedded sandstone and conglomerate deposited during the Ordovician period, which provides a firm foundation of local stone suitable for medieval construction.
The enclosure represents a modest fortified settlement of the medieval period, a common settlement form across Wales during the later Middle Ages. Such enclosed sites typically comprised a defensive ditch and bank, often with a stone wall, protecting domestic and agricultural buildings within. The local bedrock would have supplied ready material for stone walls, whilst the natural topography of the site offered additional defensive advantage.
This monument contributes to the archaeological record of medieval settlement patterns in Wales, where such enclosures served both defensive and administrative functions. The proximity of Pen-y-Rhiw indicates its place within a named landscape, suggesting it formed part of established territorial organisation during the medieval period. Cadw's protection ensures the enclosure remains available for archaeological study and landscape interpretation.
Castell 585m NW of Pen-y-Rhiw is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CD073. View the official record →
Castell 585m NW of Pen-y-Rhiw is a medieval enclosure situated in Wales and protected as a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw reference CD073.
Castell 585m NW of Pen-y-Rhiw dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a enclosure. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Castell 585m NW of Pen-y-Rhiw 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 CD073.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Maerdy Gaer (2.6 km), Castell S of Pen-y-Foel (5.1 km), Garreg Standing Stones (5.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Castell 585m NW of Pen-y-Rhiw'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.
Castell 585m NW of Pen-y-Rhiw stands on Llandovery Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Llandovery. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.