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Hafotau Settlement on Esgair Gwar-y-Cae is a medieval rectangular hut settlement located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference BR216. The settlement consists of the remains of simple rectangular structures typical of medieval upland pastoral communities. These dwellings represent the archaeological evidence of seasonal or permanent occupation during the medieval period, when such settlements were established across the Welsh landscape to support farming and livestock management in areas suited to grazing.
The site lies upon Llandovery Rocks, undifferentiated strata of sandstone and conglomerate beds laid down during the Llandovery epoch. This geology has shaped both the landscape and the building practices of the settlement's inhabitants, whose structures were adapted to the exposed upland terrain and the materials available locally. The underlying sandstone and conglomerate would have influenced settlement placement, drainage, and the selection of stone for construction.
Hafotau settlements are characteristic of medieval Welsh upland occupation, representing the distinctive pastoral economy and settlement patterns of the period. The rectangular plans of the huts differ from earlier roundhouse traditions, reflecting changes in building practice and domestic organisation during the medieval centuries. The survival of these structural remains provides direct evidence of the scale, layout and nature of medieval upland communities in Wales.
Hafotau Settlement on Esgair Gwar-y-Cae is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR216. View the official record →
Hafotau Settlement on Esgair Gwar-y-Cae is a medieval rectangular hut settlement located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference BR216.
Hafotau Settlement on Esgair Gwar-y-Cae dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a rectangular hut settlement. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Hafotau Settlement on Esgair Gwar-y-Cae 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 BR216.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Darren round cairn (5 km), Standing Stone NE of Capel Rhos (6.5 km), Bryn round cairn (6.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Hafotau Settlement on Esgair Gwar-y-Cae'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.
Hafotau Settlement on Esgair Gwar-y-Cae stands on Llandovery Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Llandovery. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.