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Earthwork 675m W of Dan-y-Cefn is a medieval ringwork set upon Lower Devonian bedrock of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone in Wales. The monument consists of an embanked enclosure typical of the 11th to 13th centuries, a period when ringworks served as defended settlements and administrative centres across the Welsh borderlands and interior. The underlying geology of Early Devonian rocks would have provided both drainage and structural stability for the earthwork's construction, though the precise dating and constructional sequence of this particular site remain to be established through archaeological investigation.
The ringwork's form—a substantial bank surrounding a central courtyard—reflects the military and domestic requirements of medieval lordship. Such monuments were frequently smaller and less labour-intensive to construct than the moated sites of lowland England, making them practical fortifications for the upland Welsh landscape. The site's location 675 metres west of Dan-y-Cefn may reflect its historical relationship to a later settlement or administrative focus, though this connection requires further archaeological study.
The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh Historic Monuments service, under reference BR170. This scheduling recognises its significance as evidence of medieval settlement patterns and fortification strategies in Wales. The ringwork remains an important archaeological resource for understanding the period of Welsh and Anglo-Norman interaction during the High Middle Ages.
Earthwork 675m W of Dan-y-Cefn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR170. View the official record →
Earthwork 675m W of Dan-y-Cefn is a medieval ringwork set upon Lower Devonian bedrock of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference BR170.
Earthwork 675m W of Dan-y-Cefn dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a ringwork. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Earthwork 675m W of Dan-y-Cefn 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 BR170.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Y Gyrn hut platforms (5 km), Y Gyrn Hut Platform (S) (5.2 km), Blaen Glyn Round Cairn (5.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Earthwork 675m W of Dan-y-Cefn'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.
Earthwork 675m W of Dan-y-Cefn stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.