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Drws y Coed Prehistoric Settlement is a prehistoric unenclosed hut circle located in Wales. The site preserves evidence of early settlement during the Bronze Age or Iron Age, when such circular dwellings were commonly constructed across upland regions of Britain and Wales. Unenclosed hut circles typically served as domestic structures for individual families or small communities, with the circular form providing practical advantages for construction and heat retention during cooler months.
The monument sits on Llanvirn Rocks of Whiterock age, which comprise mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formations. These fine-grained sediments would have influenced both the landscape character and the settlement's location, potentially affecting drainage patterns and soil fertility. The underlying geology shaped the local environment available to inhabitants who chose this site for habitation, factors which may have influenced crop cultivation or pastoral activities.
Today, Drws y Coed Prehistoric Settlement remains protected as a scheduled monument under Cadw's guardianship, registered under reference CN209. The site contributes to the archaeological understanding of prehistoric settlement patterns in Wales, particularly regarding how early communities utilised upland terrain and adapted to local geological conditions during the prehistoric period.
Drws y Coed Prehistoric Settlement is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CN209. View the official record →
Drws y Coed Prehistoric Settlement is a prehistoric unenclosed hut circle located in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CN209.
Drws y Coed Prehistoric Settlement dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a unenclosed hut circle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Drws y Coed Prehistoric 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 CN209.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Treforys Deserted Quarry Settlement (8.4 km), Gorseddau Slate Quarry (8.7 km), Hut Circles at Braich y Cornel (8.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Drws y Coed Prehistoric 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.
Drws y Coed Prehistoric Settlement stands on Llanvirn Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Whiterock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.