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Craig Cerrig-Gleisiad Deserted Rural Settlement is a medieval deserted rural settlement located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference BR266. The site sits upon bedrock of Lower Devonian rocks, predominantly sandstone and conglomerate laid down interbedded during the Early Devonian period. This geological foundation would have shaped both the landscape and the building materials available to medieval settlers at this location.
Deserted rural settlements of this type represent communities that were abandoned, typically between the 12th and 16th centuries, leaving behind archaeological evidence of domestic occupation and agricultural activity. The physical remains at Craig Cerrig-Gleisiad preserve traces of the structures and settlement patterns that characterised medieval Welsh rural life, offering insights into how people organised their homes and livelihoods across the upland terrain.
The site's preservation under Cadw protection ensures that the archaeological record of this abandoned settlement remains intact for study and interpretation. The durable Devonian sandstone and conglomerate bedrock beneath the site would have provided both building stone and shaped drainage patterns that influenced where dwellings and agricultural terraces were positioned, making the geology integral to understanding the settlement's layout and survival.
Craig Cerrig-Gleisiad Deserted Rural Settlement is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR266. View the official record →
Craig Cerrig-Gleisiad Deserted Rural Settlement is a medieval deserted rural settlement located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference BR266.
Craig Cerrig-Gleisiad Deserted Rural 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.
Craig Cerrig-Gleisiad Deserted Rural 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 BR266.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Glog Las round cairn (8.2 km), Afon Hepste Settlement Enclosure (8.5 km), Mynydd y Garn round cairn (8.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Craig Cerrig-Gleisiad Deserted Rural 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.
Craig Cerrig-Gleisiad Deserted Rural Settlement stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.