Scheduled MonumentsWalesCwm Dyli Ancient Village
Prehistoric · Unenclosed hut circle settlement

Cwm Dyli Ancient Village

Conwy, Wales
Cadw SAM CN035
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Unenclosed hut circle settlement
Broad class
Domestic
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Cwm Dyli Ancient Village is a prehistoric unenclosed hut circle settlement situated in Wales. The site comprises multiple circular dwelling foundations typical of Bronze Age or Iron Age settlement patterns in upland terrain. Unlike defended hillforts or enclosed settlements common to the period, this village was established without fortification, suggesting a community focused on pastoral subsistence rather than territorial conflict.

The monument rests upon bedrock of Ordovician felsic tuff, named Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, which was formed during volcanic activity in the Ordovician period. This geology has shaped the landscape's character and would have influenced the settlement's location and economy. The upland setting, combined with the volcanic stone foundation, provided suitable ground for constructing stone-built roundhouses and access to durable local stone for construction.

Cwm Dyli Ancient Village is protected by Cadw under reference CN035. The survival of multiple hut circles at the site provides rare evidence of prehistoric domestic settlement patterns in Welsh uplands, offering insight into how communities organised their living spaces and adapted to challenging terrain during the prehistoric period.

Cwm Dyli Ancient Village is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CN035. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cwm Dyli Ancient Village?

Cwm Dyli Ancient Village is a prehistoric unenclosed hut circle settlement situated in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CN035.

What period does Cwm Dyli Ancient Village date from?

Cwm Dyli Ancient Village dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a unenclosed hut circle settlement. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Cwm Dyli Ancient Village?

Cwm Dyli Ancient Village 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 CN035.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cwm Dyli Ancient Village?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Hut Circle Settlement in Cwm Gelli Iago (North) (6.6 km), Dinas Emrys Camp (6.8 km), Hut Circle Settlement in Cwm Gelli Iago (West) (6.9 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Cwm Dyli Ancient Village

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cwm Dyli Ancient Village's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Cwm Dyli Ancient Village

Cwm Dyli Ancient Village stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Ordovician, bedrock that formed in the Ordovician. The rock here is felsic tuff.

The wider landscape

Around Cwm Dyli Ancient Village

Bryn Celli DduArchaeological site · ~13.4 miles