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Castell y Blaidd is a medieval deserted rural settlement located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference RD155. The site lies on bedrock of Ludlow Rocks, undifferentiated strata comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formations of Ludlow age. This geology provided local building material and shaped settlement patterns in the medieval period.
The settlement represents an example of rural depopulation that affected many upland and marginal Welsh communities from the medieval period onwards. Such deserted settlements offer valuable evidence of medieval land use, agricultural practice and social organisation in their landscape context. The site's preservation has allowed archaeological investigation of building foundations, field systems and domestic refuse that illuminate daily life in the Welsh countryside.
Today Castell y Blaidd remains visible as earthworks and structural remains within the modern landscape. Its protection reflects the historical and archaeological importance of understanding how medieval communities inhabited and exploited the Welsh terrain. The site contributes to broader knowledge of settlement patterns and economic change across Wales during and after the medieval period.
Castell y Blaidd Medieval Settlement is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference RD155. View the official record →
Castell y Blaidd is a medieval deserted rural settlement located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference RD155.
Castell y Blaidd Medieval Settlement dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a deserted rural settlement. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Castell y Blaidd Medieval 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 RD155.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Castell Tinboeth (5.2 km), Llananno Royal Observer Corps Monitoring Post (5.7 km), Rhos Crug Round Barrows (7.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Castell y Blaidd Medieval 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.
Castell y Blaidd Medieval Settlement stands on Ludlow Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ludlow. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.