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Ffridd yr Eglwys Deserted Rural Settlement is a medieval rectangular hut located in Wales. The structure sits upon bedrock of Caradoc Rocks, an undifferentiated formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposited during the Caradocian period. This geological foundation provided building materials readily accessible to medieval inhabitants, who constructed the rectangular dwelling typical of rural Welsh settlement patterns from this era.
The hut represents the material culture of a smallholder or tenant farmer, evidence of the dispersed agricultural communities that characterised the Welsh countryside before settlement consolidation. Its rectangular plan follows the domestic architecture conventions of medieval Wales, contrasting with the roundhouses of earlier periods. The monument's survival as an earthwork reflects both the durability of stone construction and the site's subsequent abandonment, which preserved it from later disturbance.
The site is protected under Cadw reference DE254 as a scheduled ancient monument, recognising its significance for understanding medieval rural life and landscape use in Wales. The geological setting on Caradocian bedrock determined not only the materials available for construction but also the agricultural potential of the surrounding land, factors that shaped settlement patterns across upland Wales during the Middle Ages.
Ffridd yr Eglwys Deserted Rural Settlement is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE254. View the official record →
Ffridd yr Eglwys Deserted Rural Settlement is a medieval rectangular hut located in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference DE254.
Ffridd yr Eglwys Deserted Rural Settlement dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a rectangular hut. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Ffridd yr Eglwys 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 DE254.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Craig Ty Glas Kerb Cairn (5.9 km), Pen Cerrig Standing Stone (6.4 km), Craig-y-Mwyn Lead Mine (6.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Ffridd yr Eglwys 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.
Ffridd yr Eglwys Deserted Rural Settlement stands on Caradoc Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Caradocian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.