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Hut Circle at Gellfawr is a prehistoric unenclosed settlement structure situated in Wales. The monument comprises a roughly circular depression in the landscape, characteristic of Bronze Age or Iron Age domestic occupation. No defensive earthwork or enclosure surrounds the hut circle, indicating a domestic rather than fortified purpose. The structure represents the ground plan of a single dwelling, where the walls have subsided and the interior has become infilled over millennia.
The hut circle sits upon bedrock formed during the Middle Cambrian period, comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone. This geology, typical of upland Wales, would have presented challenges for construction and daily life, with poor drainage and exposure to weather. Such materials would have influenced the positioning of the hut and the practical adaptations made by its prehistoric inhabitants.
The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh Historic Monuments service, under reference ME179. This statutory protection recognises its archaeological significance as evidence of prehistoric settlement patterns and domestic life in Wales. Hut circles of this type, when studied collectively across the landscape, contribute to understanding population distribution, land use and adaptation to upland environments during pre-Roman periods.
Hut Circle at Gellfawr is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference ME179. View the official record →
Hut Circle at Gellfawr is a prehistoric unenclosed settlement structure situated in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference ME179.
Hut Circle at Gellfawr dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a unenclosed hut circle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Hut Circle at Gellfawr 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 ME179.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Hut Enclosure and Early Field System South of Mynydd Graigwen (5.3 km), Group of Standing Stones 810m South West of Bryn Seward (5.5 km), Parth-y-Gwyddwch, Standing Stones 150m N of (6.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Hut Circle at Gellfawr'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.
Hut Circle at Gellfawr stands on Middle Cambrian, bedrock that formed in the Middle Cambrian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.