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Hen Ddinbych Circular Platforms is a medieval enclosure located in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference DE086. The site comprises a series of circular platforms characteristic of medieval settlement patterns in the Welsh landscape. These platforms represent the levelled or terraced ground prepared for domestic structures, a common feature of upland medieval occupation where communities adapted their settlements to sloping terrain. The earthwork remains visible today demonstrate the practical approach taken by medieval inhabitants to construct level surfaces for building on uneven ground.
The monument sits upon Wenlock Rocks, an Undifferentiated geological formation composed of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone. This Wenlock-period bedrock, laid down in an ancient shallow sea, would have influenced both the workability of the soil for constructing the platforms and the local stone resources available to medieval builders. The underlying geology contributes to the survival of the earthwork features, which have weathered the Welsh climate over centuries whilst retaining their characteristic circular form.
The enclosure at Hen Ddinbych represents an important example of medieval Welsh settlement archaeology. Circular and oval platforms of this type have been studied across upland Wales as indicators of settlement patterns, social organisation and land use during the medieval period. The site's preservation allows investigation into how communities exploited the Welsh landscape in this era.
Hen Ddinbych Circular Platforms is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE086. View the official record →
Hen Ddinbych Circular Platforms is a medieval enclosure located in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference DE086.
Hen Ddinbych Circular Platforms dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a enclosure. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Hen Ddinbych Circular Platforms 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 DE086.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Hafotty Wen Ring Cairn (3 km), Cae Ddunod Camp (4.4 km), Ffridd Brynhelen Enclosures & Fields (4.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Hen Ddinbych Circular Platforms'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.
Hen Ddinbych Circular Platforms stands on Wenlock Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.