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Hut Circle Settlement at Bwlch Cwm Ystradllyn is a prehistoric unenclosed settlement comprising the remains of circular or oval domestic structures. The site lies on bedrock of Caradoc Rocks, a Caradocian-age sequence of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone that would have provided stone for construction and weathered naturally to create shallow soils. The undifferentiated geology of this formation creates a varied and often stony ground surface typical of upland Welsh settlement zones. Unenclosed hut circles of this type are characteristic of Bronze Age and Iron Age settlement in Wales, though precise dating remains uncertain without excavation.
The settlement's location in Cwm Ystradllyn reflects the pattern of prehistoric land use in upland valleys, where seasonal or permanent pastoral communities established themselves on accessible but exposed terrain. The lack of defensive earthworks distinguishes this site from contemporary hillforts, suggesting a community reliant on pastoral rather than fortified settlement strategies. Such open settlements are vulnerable to erosion and ploughing, making their archaeological survival dependent on careful management.
The site is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage service, under reference CN272, ensuring its preservation as an important record of prehistoric Welsh settlement patterns and upland resource exploitation.
Hut Circle Settlement at Bwlch Cwm Ystradllyn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CN272. View the official record →
Hut Circle Settlement at Bwlch Cwm Ystradllyn is a prehistoric unenclosed settlement comprising the remains of circular or oval domestic structures. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CN272.
Hut Circle Settlement at Bwlch Cwm Ystradllyn 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 Settlement at Bwlch Cwm Ystradllyn 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 CN272.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Fach-goch, standing stone to SSE of (3.9 km), Roman Bath-House, Tremadoc (5.1 km), Ty'n y Berllan Settlement (6.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Hut Circle Settlement at Bwlch Cwm Ystradllyn'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 Settlement at Bwlch Cwm Ystradllyn stands on Caradoc Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Caradocian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.