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Huts, Enclosures & Field Systems, Bernards Well Mountain is a prehistoric hut circle settlement located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference PE399. The site sits on bedrock of Arenig Rocks, composed of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed during the Arenigian period. These naturally weathered slopes would have provided both shelter and workable stone for the settlement's construction.
The site comprises a cluster of hut circles set within associated enclosures and field systems, typical of upland prehistoric settlement patterns in Wales. Such settlements generally date to the Bronze Age and Iron Age, representing permanent or semi-permanent occupation by pastoral and agricultural communities. The positioning on Bernards Well Mountain suggests use of the higher ground for grazing, whilst the enclosed fields indicate cultivation of crops suited to upland conditions.
The hut circles themselves are recognisable as stone-built or stone-revetted structures, their circular ground plans marking where families lived and worked. The associated field systems demonstrate how prehistoric communities managed their landscape, dividing it into functional units for different activities. The entire settlement pattern reflects a sophisticated use of the Welsh uplands during prehistory, with communities adapting to local geology and terrain to establish sustainable communities.
Huts, Enclosures & Field Systems, Bernards Well Mountain is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference PE399. View the official record →
Huts, Enclosures & Field Systems, Bernards Well Mountain is a prehistoric hut circle settlement located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference PE399.
Huts, Enclosures & Field Systems, Bernards Well Mountain dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a hut circle settlement. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Huts, Enclosures & Field Systems, Bernards Well Mountain 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 PE399.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Posty Defended Enclosure (6.2 km), Walton Mill Rath (6.5 km), Rhyd-Brown Camp (7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Huts, Enclosures & Field Systems, Bernards Well Mountain'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.
Huts, Enclosures & Field Systems, Bernards Well Mountain stands on Arenig Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Arenigian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.