Scheduled MonumentsWalesHuts on Mynydd Enlli, Bardsey Island
Prehistoric · Hut Circle Settlement

Huts on Mynydd Enlli, Bardsey Island

Conwy, Wales
Cadw SAM CN187
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Hut Circle Settlement
Broad class
Domestic
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM CN187
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1978-05-31
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Huts on Mynydd Enlli is a prehistoric hut circle settlement located on Bardsey Island off the Caernarfon coast in Wales. The site comprises the remains of circular stone-built dwellings that occupy the higher ground of the island, representing domestic occupation during the prehistoric period. The settlement is situated on Upper Cambrian bedrock of Tremadoc origin, metasedimentary rock that provides both the natural foundation and likely source material for the stone structures visible today.

The hut circles at Mynydd Engli demonstrate the settlement patterns of prehistoric communities exploiting island resources. The circular form and construction method are characteristic of Iron Age and earlier domestic architecture in Wales, though the precise chronology of this particular settlement remains to be fully established through archaeological investigation. The exposed hilltop location would have offered advantages for defense and visual communication with mainland communities.

The site is protected as a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw reference CN187, reflecting its importance to understanding prehistoric settlement and land use in northwest Wales. The combination of stone structures and the island's distinctive geology provides evidence of how early communities adapted to and utilised marginal landscapes. The survival of the hut circles, despite centuries of weathering and use of the island for other purposes, allows continued study of prehistoric domestic life in this coastal region.

Huts on Mynydd Enlli, Bardsey Island is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CN187. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Huts on Mynydd Enlli, Bardsey Island?

Huts on Mynydd Enlli is a prehistoric hut circle settlement located on Bardsey Island off the Caernarfon coast in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CN187.

What period does Huts on Mynydd Enlli, Bardsey Island date from?

Huts on Mynydd Enlli, Bardsey Island 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.

Who is responsible for protecting Huts on Mynydd Enlli, Bardsey Island?

Huts on Mynydd Enlli, Bardsey Island 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 CN187.

What other scheduled monuments are near Huts on Mynydd Enlli, Bardsey Island?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mynydd Enlli Round Barrow, Bardsey Island (0.2 km), Cross-Inscribed Stone in the Chapel, Bardsey Island (0.5 km), Inscribed Stone in the Chapel, Bardsey Island (0.5 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Huts on Mynydd Enlli, Bardsey Island

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Huts on Mynydd Enlli, Bardsey Island's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Huts on Mynydd Enlli, Bardsey Island

Huts on Mynydd Enlli, Bardsey Island stands on Upper Cambrian, Including Tremadoc, bedrock that formed in the Tremadocian. The rock here is metasedimentary rock.