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Hafod Rhiwnant Deserted Rural Settlement is a post-medieval and modern longhouse located in Wales and protected by Cadw under the reference RD199. The building sits upon bedrock of Ashgill rocks, undifferentiated mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed during the Ashgill period. This geological foundation typical of upland Welsh terrain would have influenced both the construction methods and the agricultural potential of the settlement.
The longhouse form reflects the practical needs of rural Welsh communities, combining human and animal accommodation within a single structure. Such buildings served as both domestic dwellings and working farms, with the inhabitants' living quarters at one end and byre space for livestock at the other, a layout that persisted across much of Wales and the Welsh borderlands from medieval times through into the modern period.
The site's designation as deserted indicates abandonment at some point in its history, reflecting the broader patterns of rural settlement change that affected upland areas. The preservation of the physical remains allows insight into the vernacular building traditions and subsistence practices of post-medieval Welsh rural life, grounded firmly in the local geology and landscape that determined the settlement's location and character.
Hafod Rhiwnant Deserted Rural Settlement is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference RD199. View the official record →
Hafod Rhiwnant Deserted Rural Settlement is a post-medieval and modern longhouse located in Wales and protected by Cadw under the reference RD199.
Hafod Rhiwnant Deserted Rural Settlement dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a longhouse. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Hafod Rhiwnant 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 RD199.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Drygarn Fach round cairn (3.9 km), Darren round cairn (4.9 km), Bryn round cairn (6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Hafod Rhiwnant 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.
Hafod Rhiwnant Deserted Rural Settlement stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.