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Garnfawr Deserted Rural Settlement is a medieval rectangular hut located in Wales, protected as an ancient monument by Cadw under reference RD184. The structure represents the remains of a single domestic dwelling from the medieval period, built upon bedrock of Llanvirn age rocks composed of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone. This underlying geology, typical of the Whiterock formation, would have provided a firm foundation for construction whilst presenting significant challenges for quarrying stone.
The rectangular plan of the hut reflects common building practices in medieval rural Wales, where such modest dwellings formed the basis of agricultural settlement. The site's designation and protection indicate its importance in understanding domestic life and land use patterns during the medieval period in the Welsh landscape. The preservation of structural remains allows archaeologists to examine construction techniques and domestic arrangements of the period.
The deserted status of this settlement suggests abandonment following medieval occupation, a phenomenon repeated across much of Wales as settlement patterns shifted. Study of such sites contributes to understanding economic, social and environmental factors that influenced rural communities during and after the medieval period. The monument's survival on the modern landscape provides valuable evidence for the archaeology of ordinary medieval life in Wales.
Garnfawr Deserted Rural Settlement is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference RD184. View the official record →
Garnfawr Deserted Rural Settlement is a medieval rectangular hut located in Wales, protected as an ancient monument by Cadw under reference RD184.
Garnfawr 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.
Garnfawr 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 RD184.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cefn Wylfre Stone Circle and Round Barrow (7.6 km), Cefn Wylfre Deserted Rural Settlement (7.6 km), Cefn Wylfre Platform House (7.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Garnfawr 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.
Garnfawr Deserted Rural Settlement stands on Llanvirn Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Whiterock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.