© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Llys Dinorwig is a medieval enclosure situated in Wales, protected as a scheduled monument under Cadw reference CN223. The site occupies ground underlain by Lower Cambrian rocks of undifferentiated character, a foundation of sandstone and conglomerate laid down during the Early Cambrian period over 500 million years ago. This ancient bedrock has shaped the landscape in which the medieval settlement developed.
The enclosure represents a form of settlement common across medieval Wales, where a defined space was bounded by banks, ditches or walls to create a defended or stock-containing compound. Such enclosures often served as the residences of minor Welsh nobility or gentry, functioning as both domestic and administrative centres for their surrounding lands.
Today, Llys Dinorwig survives as an earthwork monument, its physical form preserved in the undulating topography of the site. The Cadw protection ensures that the enclosure's archaeological potential remains safeguarded for future study and that its contribution to understanding medieval Welsh settlement patterns is maintained for public heritage benefit.
Llys Dinorwig is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CN223. View the official record →
Llys Dinorwig is a medieval enclosure situated in Wales, protected as a scheduled monument under Cadw reference CN223.
Llys Dinorwig dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a enclosure. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Llys Dinorwig 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 CN223.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cwm Brwynog Deserted Rural Settlement (7.1 km), Ty Coch Prehistoric Settlement (7.7 km), Craig Cwmbychan cairn (8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Llys Dinorwig'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.
Llys Dinorwig stands on Lower Cambrian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Cambrian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.