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Cwm Sidywal settlements is a medieval settlement located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference RD263. The site sits on bedrock of Llandovery age, comprising undifferentiated mudstone, siltstone and sandstone that would have influenced both the settlement's location and the character of its landscape. This geology, formed during the Llandovery period of the Silurian, created the underlying foundation upon which the medieval inhabitants built.
The settlement represents occupation during the medieval period, a time when rural communities across Wales adapted to the local topography and resources. The Llandovery bedrock beneath the site would have supported the development of soil and drainage patterns that determined where structures could be built and fields established. Such geological conditions shaped settlement patterns throughout the Welsh uplands during this era.
Today, Cwm Sidywal settlements survives as an archaeological monument documenting medieval Welsh land use and settlement strategy. The site's survival and protection reflect its significance for understanding how communities lived and worked within the distinctive landscape of Wales during the medieval period, utilising the resources and challenges presented by their geological setting.
Cwm Sidywal settlements is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference RD263. View the official record →
Cwm Sidywal settlements is a medieval settlement located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference RD263.
Cwm Sidywal settlements dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a settlement. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cwm Sidywal settlements 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 RD263.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rhayader Castle (5.3 km), Tomen Llansantffraid (5.5 km), Carn Wen cairn (7.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cwm Sidywal settlements'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.
Cwm Sidywal settlements stands on Llandovery Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Llandovery. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.